


Lord of the Red Lands

by KaedeRavensdale



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Egypt, Ancient Weapons Expert Levi, Ancient tomb, Anthropologist Levi, Archeologist Hanji, Armin calls him out on it, Body Worship, Chariots, Confession, Discussion of modernity, Egyptian Gods, Eren asks questions, Eren has some minor PTSD, Eren is distracted, Eren pushes boundaries, Eren seeks advice, Existential questioning regarding the scarab, Family discussion, Festivals, Horseback Riding, Levi "works a miracle" using science, Levi questions why he's there, Levi works at the Smithsonian, Lots of historical terms, M/M, Massage, Masturbation, Mikasa shows up in this chapter, Mildly Drunk Eren, Mythologist Levi, Nile boats, Oasis, Ombos, Palace Garden, Pharaoh Eren, Puppies, Puppy is jealous, Shopping for courting gifts, Stress Relief, Temples, Thebes - Freeform, This new chapter is all kinds of awkward, Time Travel, Trouble Sleeping, Walk in the Garden, baths, explinations for them included in notes, grapes, heavy kissing, impending war, lettuce - Freeform, more tags to be added later, stress related breakdown, the inevitable has finally happened
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-08-22 15:55:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 37,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8291635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaedeRavensdale/pseuds/KaedeRavensdale
Summary: “You really believe that you’ve found quantifiable evidence-a corpse-which proves the existence of the Egyptian Gods?”“I believe that I may have found the tomb of a man they thought of as a God. Either way I need your expertise. And I think you need to see this.”Dr. Levi Ackerman, weapons specialist and Egyptian mythologist, has worked at the Smithsonian for the past 15 years since graduating college. The last thing he’d ever wanted or expected was to be dragged into one of the excavations of his ruins-obsessed colleague Hanji Zoe or that contact with an ancient relic would land him in the middle of the Old Kingdom. Surrounded by citizens who believe him to be the Lord of the Red Land and romantically pursued by a Pharaoh, he quickly learns the truth that it’s tough to be a God.





	1. The Tomb

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Français available: [Lord of the Red Lands (French translation)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8652016) by [KaedeRavensdale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaedeRavensdale/pseuds/KaedeRavensdale), [Kikavass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kikavass/pseuds/Kikavass)



> Ok so let me just put out there that this is going to be updated sporadically. Once a month on average, maybe more maybe less from time to time. If it runs until after I've finished all of my other WIPs then it will reach a more regular schedule but it will most likely wind up running its course before then.  
> Also be aware that I'm doing the bare necessities of spot research for this fic so it's all but assured to be entirely historically inaccurate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so let me just put out there that this is going to be updated sporadically. Once every week or so on average, maybe more maybe less from time to time. Expect it on Friday or Saturday. If it runs until after I've finished all of my other WIPs then it will reach a more regular schedule but it will most likely wind up running its course before then.  
> Also be aware that I'm doing the bare necessities of spot research for this fic so it's all but assured to be entirely historically inaccurate.

The Khopesh cut through the artificially chilled air with a low drowning sound. Its weight familiar in his hand as he rolled his wrist and closed in on the assembled target. The ballistic gel dummy outfitted with bronze scale armor and a number of fine-tuned pressure sensors shuddered and clanked beneath a punishing blow. He pivoted on his left heel, brough the blade down from above and to the right. Hook the crescent moon curve of the blade around the collar and yanked the torso to the ground. Pinned it below his heel and brought down the blade for the killing blow. Sharpened edge cutting deep into the gel and severing the spinal cord suspended inside.

                “Well, it’s not your everyday job where you’ll find your boss in a suit and tie one day and a loin cloth another.” Glancing up from his slaughtered victim the raven met the amused brown eyes of his subordinate. “Bad day?”

                “Good day. I just killed the rival army’s Pharaoh.”

                “Right. Congratulations victorious Pharaoh Ackerman of Middle Egypt for your astounding skill with a sword.”

                Levi smirked as he straightened up from his crouch. “Remind me again why you’re not still an intern, Jinn?”

                The other man blinked at him. “Why? What did I say that was wrong?”

                “First of all, I’m clearly not a Pharaoh. I’m in the cloth and leather military dress of a regular foot soldier. Second, Upper Egypt. Third, what I’m holding is called a Khopesh. It’s actually more closely related to a battle axe than a sword.”

                “Running more tests?”

                “Always.” Levi crossed the room towards the waiting laptop sitting open atop a nearby table and began scrolling through the data gathered by the sensors. “For a civilization with access only to some of the most primitive materials and tools the Egyptians achieved so much. I’m trying to find out how. And though my greatest area of expertise and interest is their mythology their weaponry and martial strength is also a mystery I’d like to unravel.” He settled down into the accompanying chair and began sorting through the display. “A lot can be learned from the ancient past.”

                “And that’s why you learned to fight like them? As best you could from ancient texts.”

                “I need to use Egyptian weapons like the Egyptians would have, not like the Aztecs or the Bedouins would have. My test results won’t be accurate otherwise.” He replied offhandedly. “Which is why I spare no expense in reproducing the armor and weapons that I use as best I can from the very same materials that they would have.”

                “Do I need to be concerned that one day I’ll come into work, walk into this room and find you testing war lions?”

                “I’m a historian and researcher, not an idiot. If I were to bring lions here I could be sued for reckless endangerment, not to mention mauled and eaten. Though certain ancient texts would have me believe that the King of the Beasts prefers the taste of frightened Christians over disgruntled Atheists.”

                 Eld snickered.

                “The war machine of the Old Kingdom was incredible. I’d love a chance to have seen it in its hay day. To have seen Egypt in its golden age of Pharaohs and Gods.” He sat back. “Maybe we can convince Shitty Glasses to start work on a time machine when she eventually gets over her ancient ruin fetish.”

                “Speaking of Dr. Zoe…she called me earlier.”

                “Did she?” he grunted. “About what?”

                “About me asking you to call her. She said that she called you herself but that you didn’t answer.”          

                “I never answer when she calls. She’s a lunatic.”

                “Dr. Ackerman she told me that it’s urgent you get into contact with her as soon as you are able to. By video call would be preferred.”

                “And why is it urgent, Jinn?”

                “I’m not sure, Sir. She didn’t say.”

                “Isn’t she in Egypt right now?”

                “Yes, Sir.”

                “It’s 3 am in Egypt right now.”

                “It’s Dr. Zoe.”

                “…” Levi couldn’t deny his subordinate had a point with that one. “Thank you, Jinn. I’ll do it now. Would you mind sending me up some tea?”

                “No, Sir. Not at all. I’ll have Petra get started on that now.”

                _Good. I’ll need the caffeine after this. And probably some Advil._ Reaching up to run his fingers through his neatly parted black hair Levi reluctantly pulled up Skype on his computer. _Don’t pick up. Be asleep like a normal person for once in your life. Let me not have to deal with this tonight._

                “Shorty!”

                _Fuck._ Hastily turning down the volume of his speakers Levi sighed heavily and buckled down to weather the storm. “Hello, Dr. Zoe.” He’d be professional even if she wouldn’t.

                “Nice clothes.”

                “I was running a test! Eld told me you had something urgent to say so spit it out.”

                The woman on the other end of the screen was far too awake for the time, her eyes bright with an almost demonic fire, hair a wreck and glasses askew and smudged with God only knew what.

                “You won’t believe me if I just told you. You need to get here!”

                “I’m not going to drop everything and rush halfway across the world to Egypt just because you said so. You’re going to have to give me a bit more of an incentive.”

                “Will this do?” She held up a slip of paper. “It’s a charcoal rubbing of the hieroglyphs on the door. Recognize them?”

                Levi leaned closer, squinting at the poor quality image on screen. “That would appear to be the circa 2686 BC representation of the name of the Ancient Egyptian God of the desert, storms, chaos and war. Setekh, Lord of the Red Land.” He told her. “Where did you get that?”

                “We discovered a new tomb within the Valley of the Kings, odd thing about this one in particular being that unlike the surrounding tombs it dates back to the Old Kingdom.” Hanji happily launched into a light speed explanation, complete with vibrating and hand movements. “Upon getting inside we discovered it to be the resting place of a formerly unknown Pharaoh. The Cobra King, renown for both his beauty and his wrath. But ground radar scans taken of the area revealed another chamber hidden in a wall which lead deeper into another chamber located below the burial vault. We had to retreat after cracking the seal due to the risk of toxic air but it should be ventilated soon and if you book the tickets now you can be the first person down there in thousands of years.”

                “I may have a degree in Anthropology but mummies aren’t my thing, Zoe. Weapons and Gods are.”

                “Which is why I need you to be here. Remember the hieroglyphs?” she held up the paper again to emphasize her point. “I have reason to believe that the passage leads to a second burial vault. And that the interred is Setekh.”

                “You really believe that you’ve found quantifiable evidence-a corpse-which could prove the existence of the Egyptian Gods?”

                “I believe that I may have found the tomb of a man they thought of as a God. Either way, I need your expertise. And I think you need to see this.”

                “I think that it’s a stretch at best.”

                “And if it is Setekh?”

                Levi put his head into his hands and massaged his temples. “The flight from D.C. to Cairo is 12 hours. If I leave the Smithsonian now I can be packed in three. I’ll be on the ground within three days.”

                “Oh, thank goodness! I knew I could count on you Levi!”

                “Yeah, yeah.”

                “It’ll be worth it.”

                “It’d better be. And I’ll have you know that if I develop melanoma from the sun exposure while I’m there you’re paying for my treatment.”

                “Oh, just wear sunscreen shorty!” With that parting thought the screen went black.

                “Dr. Ackerman, I have your tea.”

                “Thank you, but forget it. I have to pack. And to put in notice to Eyebrows.”

                “Notice?” Eld repeated as Levi pushed himself up onto his feet.

                “Yes. Notice.” He told him. “Dr. Zoe has requested my direct aid. I’m leaving for Cairo in the morning.”


	2. The Silver Scarab

 

                If the plane ride into Cairo had been bad the Jeep ride out to the Valley of the Kings was hell. Being painfully jounced about on the suspended chasee. Blistering sun. Sweat slicked skin rapidly plastered with gritty sand and dust. Needless to say it was a relief, if only a mild one, to finally reach the provisional camp of tents tarps and trailers erected along the edge of the dig site.

                Clambering hastily down from the suspended Jeep Levi grabbed his bag, situated the wide brimmed hat he’d brought with him on his head to prevent his scalp from burning and turned to face the sprawl of tents.

                _I was advised to wait for an escort._ Spitting out a mouthful of sand he sized up the scorpion clattering about on a nearby rock.

                He glanced up only when a shadow blocked out the glaring white light.

                “Dr. Ackerman?”

                “That would be me, yes.”

                “Oh, good! Dr. Zoe was beginning to become impatient; Moblit Berner. Archeologist and assistant to your colleague.” The brunet extended his hand.

                “Ah, yes.” Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket Levi draped it over the other man’s sweaty paw before shaking it. “She’s mentioned you a few times. Where is Dr. Zoe? She told me that something discovered here required my attention and I would like to see to it as quickly as possible. And to get out of this oppressive heat.”

                “Of course, follow me. She’s already in the Cobra King’s burial chamber, unable to contain herself any longer once assured all possible threat of toxic air had abated. Toxic air is-.”

                “Air which has been housed so long within a sealed chamber or structure that it’s become impregnated with any number of highly dangerous toxins which could, dependent on severity, lead to anything from foaming at the mouth and convulsions to blood poisoning to, in severe cases, near instantaneous death.” Removing the handkerchief with a grimace he tossed it away into a nearby pile of tarps. “Do not treat me as if I were some uninformed college intern, Berner.”

                “Of course, Sir. I apologize, Dr. Ackerman.” The edge of the dig fell away into an excavated pit leading to a black opening of the buried tomb. Moblit hastily changed the subject as they began making their way down a slopping ramp towards the entrance. “The burial chamber of the Cobra King has been seen by almost everyone here, but not a single living soul has gone further than the mouth of the second passageway. Dr. Zoe is in charge of the dig and she’s insisted that you be the first person down there.”

                He paused long enough to pick up one of the high powered flashlights sitting at the opening and turned it on. Inside the tomb’s passageway it was very dark, the air dry and heavy. Their footsteps echoed off the surrounding walls and low ceiling.

                “What little we do know is that the passage leading into the believed second burial chamber is lined with ornate carvings. Not unusual for the Ancient Egyptians, but rather than the typical tale of a soul’s travel to the afterlife it seems to depict a God’s arrival to the mortal world.”

                An innumerable number of twists and turns saw them at last entering into the burial chamber of the Cobra King. Moblit left Levi standing in the entry way and disappeared into the small group of milling archeologists, likely to locate his colleague from somewhere within.

                Levi took the chance to look around at the carvings on the surrounding walls. A mosaic of the Pharaoh riding a chariot into battle caught his eye, appearing young and bearing up an arrow. Running beside him was some sort of animal. Not a lion. Not a dog. It was lean and canine in body shape with razor teeth and a long forked tail.

                “Noticed it, have we?”

                He jumped and turned, taking a step back on finding his colleague all but flush up against him.

                “Do you have any concept of personal space, Shitty Glasses?” he demanded. “Why is there a Set Beast on that wall?”

                “For the same reason there’s potentially Setekh’s body entombed in the chamber directly underneath our feet.” She happily exclaimed, entirely oblivious to his desire to remain at a distance from her and pulling him under her arm. “The passage is this way; I’m sure that you want to be finished with all of this so that you can go back to your air conditioned office in D.C.”

                “In a minute, I’ve a question first.”

                “Yes?”

                Levi pointed to the youth in the chariot. “That’s the Cobra King?”

                “Well I would imagine the man himself had a much less triangular head but yes. He was approximately your age when he died. Why?”

                “Because if time hadn’t turned him into a raisin I might consider tapping that.”

                “I hadn’t thought you one for older men, Shorty. Or jokes for that matter.” She looked down at him in concern. “Are you feeling alright?”

                “It’s the damn jet lag.” He grumbled, motioning to the displaced slab ahead of them. “That it?”

                “It is indeed.” Hanji released him and bounded ahead, the beam of her flashlight bouncing wildly off of the walls.

                _How she never runs out of energy I’ve no doubt will remain a mystery to science forever._ Begrudgingly, he sped his pace in order to catch up with her.

                The slab which rested against the wall was almost bone white in color, entirely blank aside from the hieroglyphs the rubbing of which she had shown to him over their video call. The opening of the passageway was yawning, perfectly rectangular in shape and black as ink.

                Hanji stood beside the doorway, vibrating with anticipation and holding the light directly beneath her chin. “Are you ready to set foot within the tomb of a God?”

                “Stop acting childish!” He ordered sharply, removing the light from her custody and stepping into the passageway.

                When Moblit had spoken of the carvings he hadn’t lied. Etched into the walls with pain staking care were countless carvings depicting the alleged ‘God’.

                “There’s coloring on the walls.” Levi winced at the thunderous echoes of the other’s voice. “That’s unusual, even for a Pharaoh’s tomb. Wall carvings are normally left with the original color of the stone. And look!” She pointed wildly at the crumbling relief. “Unlike the usual motifs the carving isn’t raised and chiseled from the surrounding stone wall. It’s depressed and inlaid with ivory and obsidian!”

                “Do me a favor, Zoe, and shut up before you bring the entire fucking tomb down on our heads.”

                “Right, sorry.”

                Levi did his best to ignore her barely contained squeaking and stepped closer to the wall, throwing the beam more severely across it. The carvings and hieroglyphs in the other chamber had depicted the typical exploits of a Pharaoh on his journey to the afterlife but those before him now spoke of an entirely different story. The inlaid precious stones transformed the carving into a clearly defined man with white skin and black hair lying unconscious beside a river which he assumed to be the Nile.

                “He doesn’t have the Set-Beast head. The Gods of Ancient Egypt, baring Isis and Osiris, never appeared in a fully human form; Horus had a Falcon head, Anubis a Jackel, Bast a Cat…”

                “So you’re already dismissing the idea that this is Setekh’s tomb?” Given the fact they were talking about a being he still believed to be entirely mythological Levi couldn’t help but think that she sounded absurdly disappointed.

                “Gods don’t exist, Zoe. You and I both know that.” Pausing at another carving further down the passageway he frowned.

                “What’s wrong?”

                “The Set Beast appeared again. It’s attached to his feet, like a shadow.” He told her and resumed walking. “You may have been on to something after all when you said that the man buried in this tomb, if it is another tomb at the end of this passage, was who the Egyptians _thought of_ as Setekh. Perhaps they viewed him as the God in fully human form. It would make sense that his depiction makes him appear European.”

                “It does?”

                He nodded. “Among many other things, to the Ancient Egyptians Setekh was the God of Foreigners.” Levi explained. “But the question remains: why was a man who they viewed as a God buried within the tomb of a Pharaoh and not his own?”

                “Perhaps he was having relations with the Cobra King. Was one of his concubine or even his Prime Consort. It was common practice that such partners would be buried with their Pharaohs in order to continue pleasuring them in the after life.”

                “…Morbid.”

                “It’s not necrophilia if they’re both dead.”

                “Hanji, the bowels of an ancient tomb is quite possibly the worst place to be thinking about ghost sex.”

                Her only reply was a muffled snort.

                “If he were the Cobra King’s bitch and he was buried with him wouldn’t his body not be in its own chamber or at the very least be on the same level?”

                “He died before the Cobra King. Foiling some manner of assassination plot.”      

                Levi rounded on her. “What evidence could you possibly-oh, dear lord.” The light of the flashlight fell across another mural on the opposite wall. The figure from the chariot crouched on the floor, holding the pale figure the limpness of who’s carving was clearly meant to portray death. The hilt of a blade protruded from his chest.

                “That looks like loss, Levi. Prime Consort is a much better bet. They must have been in love.”

                “I think you’re getting a bit too much out of a carving.” He told her staunchly. “For all we know that could be the Cobra King murdering this poor bastard for cheating on him.”

                “Oh, you’re such an unromantic grump!”

                “Having your lover die in your arms is traumatizing not romantic!”

                The passage at last gave way before them, opening up into a chamber of considerable size. Anubis statues flanked the opening like waiting guardians, their black bodies and golden collars glistening in the harsh light. Golden coins, jewels and relics lined the walls alongside canopic jars. Resting in the center of the room was a black coffin, the lid adorned with a carving of a man with a Set Beast head.

                “Holy shit, it is a burial chamber.”

                “Oh my! This is an entire tomb consolidated into a single chamber!” Hanji scrambled further into the room, slipping on a couple of loose coins and nearly toppling into a pile of treasure as she made for the jars of organs.

                Shuddering at the thought Levi cautiously approached to sarcophagus. “Looks like it’s made of obsidian. Not a typical material used to make sarcophagi I take it?”

                “Most are made or granite and topped with a golden sculpture.”

                He returned his gaze to the coffin before him. Placing his hands on the smooth volcanic glass. Testing the weight and discovering the lid to be quite impossible to budge without aid. An amulet in the shape of a scarab had been set into a carefully carved indent over where the heart of the corpse within would be. Cautiously, mindful not the damage the surrounding stone, Levi pulled the amulet free.

                “It’s short.”

                He nearly face planted in surprise. “Jesus fucking Christ Hanji!”

                “Sorry, Shorty. I thought you heard me coming.” She chirped much too brightly for his liking. “What have you got there?”

                “A scarab amulet. Symbol of creation, life and rebirth. A token meant to guard the heart, to make it more likely that they’ll pass judgement and be allowed to proceed into the afterlife instead of being eaten by Ammit.” The metal was cold and smooth beneath his fingers and approximately the size of his palm. “Most are made of clay, gold or precious gems but this one looks to be made of silver. Very unusual, considering how rarely silver was found in Egypt.”

                “Like you said, Setekh was the God of Foreigners so it makes relative sense he’d be adorned in foreign metals.”

                “Maybe.” He said. “Mind if I hang on to this? I’ve been meaning to get my hands on one for years now but the Smithsonian won’t release any of the ones in their custody to me for fear I’ll damage them somehow.”

                “Sure, you can have it. If you lay down on the ground next to that sarcophagus.”

                Levi’s eyes widened. “What?” he demanded. “Why?”

                “Like I said, it’s short and so are you. You want the amulet? _Lay down!”_

                He looked down at the stone floor of the tomb and sighed. “Fine.” Setting the light down and the amulet back on the top of the coffin Levi maneuvered himself onto the floor of the tomb and stretched himself out along the foot of the coffin. He remained there impatiently as she fluttered wildly around, viewing the display from different angles.

                “Wow, you could probably fit in there perfectly. Snug as a bug in a rug. Almost like the thing was made for you.”

                “Can I get up now or not?”

                “Yes, yes you can. Now, there’s no way of knowing if you really _would_ fit unless we put you in it so after we get it back to the museum and the mummy is removed for autopsy would you be willing to-?”

                “ _Fuck no!”_

                “Come now, Levi. It’s a once in a lifetime chance to be able to lay in a perfectly sized authentic Egyptian sarcophagus. With how old it is no microbe or traces of decay would still be inside.”

                “Once again, no!”

                Hanji let out an over dramatic sigh. “Well, just think about it ok? It’s for the good of science and it would make for an interesting story to tell your adopted grand children.”

                “ _Adopted_ grandchildren?”

                “Honey, you’re gay. Human experimentation has yet to progress far enough to allow men to give birth and I know you well enough to know a surrogate is something you wouldn’t even consider.”

                “Brats are filthy. I don’t want any kids.” He grumbled, turning his back on her and resuming his examination of the scarab. As Hanji returned to her own examination of the coffin she heard him muttering to himself, taking stock of the scarab and his own assumptions of its make.

                “What the hell?” The sudden yelp was accompanied by a mechanical click and a blinding flash of light. Hanji whirled around as the light her companion had been carrying clattered to the stone floor and went out, plunging the chamber into darkness.

                “Dr. Ackerman?” silence. “Dr. Ackerman? _Levi? Answer me!”_

Managing to locate the light after a few moments of blindly fumbling through the darkness she flicked it back on and shone it around the chamber.

                “Levi?”

                Both the raven haired man and the scarab medallion he’d been holding were gone.


	3. Lord of the Red Land

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the itch to keep working on this so we have an early update. Will probably get another one on Saturday as well.  
> Some notes at the end about terms etc that may need clarification

The citizenry had gathered into a weary mass at the edge of the great Nile, the arid wind tugging at the edges of the Shendyt and Kalasiris that they wore. So distracted were they by the sight before them that they failed to notice his identity or even his presence or identity even as he pushed his way vehemently through them. Fighting his way out onto the far side of the gathered crowd and at last emerging victorious on the other side, Farlan turned his blue gaze in the same direction that the gathered crowd was staring.

                The bare mud of the bank stretched down into the deep blue water of the river which fueled their great kingdom. Lying sprawled on his back in the shallows of the Nile’s lip quite clearly unconscious was a man. Cautious of the new comer he edged forwards and crouched at his side, leaning forwards over him to get a better look.

                He was odd, to say the least. Black hair soaked through by river water and mud, floating wildly about his head in an ebony halo though it had the appearance of being neat when dry. His skin was smooth as milk and the color of ivory though it was beginning to redden beneath the unrelenting sun. His face was turned away from him, towards deeper water, leaving his features indiscernible but his dress was odd. Ruined by mud and torn as if by battle, the scraps fell away from his well-muscled chest in strips of tan and red.

                Red.

                Farlan immediately scrambled backwards to a much more respectful distance, all but dumping himself onto all fours and smearing rich-colored mud across his skin and clothing. The raven before him didn’t stir from his sleep, leaving the sandy blonde in a state of relief that his unintentional disrespect had gone unnoticed.

                “Flagon! Yan!”

                The two men barreled through the crowd at his shout, nearly slipping in the mud and tumbling over themselves as they rushed to his side.

                “High Priest, has something happened?”

                “Are you alright?”

                “Don’t concern yourselves with me!” Hands now stained in mud he pointed to the prone form before them. “Look there.”

                Both men followed their gaze to the raven haired man. “There, Sir?”

                “Yes, there! Look there and look well, for the Oracle spoke the truth! He’s come; the journey from the Heavens must have exhausted him. We must take our Lord to his temple so that he might rest and regain his strength.” Farlan spoke quickly and quietly in an effort to prevent himself from being overheard by the lurking crowd of vultures. “Lift him, carefully. I cannot touch the Lord of the Red Land covered in mud like this; it would be a crime to besmirch him further!”

                The pair nodded and moved forwards, the taller of the two stooping low and lifting the pale man’s small form into his arms. His head lolled back limply over flagon’s bare arm, black hair dripping mud and water down onto the banks below and bruised purple eyelids fluttering partially open over pale irises. His lips had been cracked by the vicious sun and the scraps of clothing he still wore fluttered gently in the wind caused by the motion of his transport, the crowd parting before them even as they strained to get a better look.

                They trailed the three priests as they made their way swiftly through the city, only ceasing their pursuit when they reached the gleaming white temple and had passed between the massive stone pillars into the interior’s cool shade.

                “Flagon, pass our Lord into Isabelle’s care. Inform her that she is to see to it that he is cleaned, dressed and-if he wakes-fed.”

                “Yes, High Priest.” Still holding the unconscious God in his arms the man turned and headed deeper into the great temple. Once he was gone, Farlan turned to Yan.

                “Fetch me a papyrus scroll. Once I’ve written the letter have it sent to Thebes. The Son of Ra will want to know of his Uncle’s arrival.”

                “Yes, High Priest.” The smaller man scampered away to collect the required artifacts and by the time that he returned Farlan had had the necessary time to clean most of the Nile mud from his hands and clothing. After etching a few quick strings of hieroglyphs onto the papyrus with a stick of charcoal he wound it back up and handed it over.

                “Order the Temple made most presentable both for our Lord’s habitation and the Pharaoh’s eyes. I must personally see to where our Lord Setekh will be staying.”

 

                It was slowly that he began to regain his senses, pulled back towards consciousness by something wet and marvelously cold dripping down along the back of his neck. Winding its way lazily around the hills and valleys of his spine. He felt oddly weightless, as if suspended in air, body swathed in that same wonderful chill which worked to cool his sunburned flesh. He hadn’t felt this close to comfortable since leaving his well air conditioned office in the Smithsonian to join his mad colleague in Egypt to assist her in the excavation of the Cobra King’s tomb.

Which he didn’t remember leaving.

What had happened? The closer to consciousness that he rose the more aware of what had taken place he became. Memories rushing back to fill in the blank gaps in his head. His arrival in the Valley of Kings. Moblit leading him down into the first burial chamber. Hanji into the second. The carvings. The scarab medallion and the blinding light which had erupted into being when its little metal wings had snapped open in his hands.

Then nothing. 

Blackness was all that met his efforts to recall the events which had followed. He fully recalled who he was but didn’t know where he was, and some small part of his consciousness which he desperately attempted to silence made it clear that he didn’t know _when_ he was either. His heart rate and breathing sped up, leaping to the same levels as they would be if he’d been running for miles. Confusion turning to distress and then to full blown panic as he discovered himself unable to so much as twitch a single finger or open his mouth to speak. Body far too spent by whatever that damned amulet had done to allow him the function of any non-essential motion but for that of his eyes.

They snapped open, pupils contracting and then dilating to accommodate the lack of light. Black overblown to the point where the silver of his irises was almost entirely consumed. Above him was a ceiling, high and vaulted and made of stone. Its furthest reaches concealed by thick shadows. His clothing had vanished, leaving his naked body resting in a pool of water the edges of which were far too linear to be natural. And something, or rather someone, was touching him. A hand supported his head so that it wouldn’t dip below the surface and drown him. Gentle fingers running sweet scented shampoo and oils through his hair and into his scalp.

On instinct he tried to flail away from them but all his deadened body gave was a slight lurch forwards. Not enough to free him, or even to lift him just slightly from their supporting arms, but more than enough to alert them to the fact that he was awake. Green eyes and red hair registered through the gloom as a woman’s face came into view above him. Her expression as she looked down upon him was one he didn’t immediately recognize. Fear? No. Concern? No. Hostility? Mistrust? No.

Reverence.

What was going on? What was happening to him? What had already happened? Where was he? Unable to move his mouth or find his voice he stared up at her, hoping at least a few of his questions would be communicated with his eyes and that he’d receive even the barest trace of an answer.

“You’re awake, my Lord.” She spoke softly, dipping her head forward slightly in the closest approximation of a bow that she could manage in her position. “Just relax. Let your servants care for you while you regain your strength from your struggles with Apep.”

Apep? The assailant of the Night Barque of Ra? Defeated each night by Setekh? He’d been mistaken for Setekh? But the worship of the Gods of Ancient Egypt hadn’t been practiced since the fall of the New Kingdom so how could he possibly…

 _No._ A chill went through him which had nothing to do with the water. _No. No it isn’t possible!_ The carvings inlaid with ivory. The sarcophagus, proportioned as if made for him. The silver scarab amulet which he knew, somehow, was responsible for this. _I can’t be in Ancient Egypt! Time travel is Science Fiction! It isn’t possible!_

Oblivious to his internal panic the woman continued her administrations. Bathing him, he realized after a further few moments when his sluggish mind finally clicked over. Her gentle fingers and careful hands running down the chorded muscle of his neck and down over his chest with more of the sweet smelling oil. He couldn’t identify the smell but it was pleasant. More natural than the artificial scent of the soap and shampoo he’d used for all his life.

The little red head was deceptively strong for her size and lifted him out of the bath with what almost looked like ease. Drying his still unresponsive body with a cotton cloth before covering his nakedness with white linen and lifting him again. Carrying him through massive stone halls flanked by tapering pillars and into another room. Three more women seemed to materialized from nowhere, approaching slowly with the same reverence as the red-head that held him up, though theirs was clearly edged by fear as well. They approached him on their knees as if for fear of inciting his ire.

The first who came forwards held a length of cloth in her hands, the linen stained a deep crimson hue and so fine that it was almost see through. Removing the concealing white cloth the woman swiftly wrapped the red one about his waist, pinning it in place with a belt inlaid with polished turquois.

The hands of the second were full of jewelry shaped from gold and precious gem stones. Rings were slipped onto his fingers and bangles onto his upper arms, collar secured around his neck and a needle threaded through his ears so that small hoops of glittering metal could be hung from the lobes.

The third touched his face gently and with hesitance, outlining his eyes with black khol and coloring the lids with deep blue. Ochre was traced onto his lips to redden them from their natural pallor and a polishing stone was taken to his nails.

Once finished, all three retreated from the room.

Once more the little red head picked him up and carried him into yet another room. A bed had been prepared there, the mattress heaped with feathered pillows and fine linen sheets. He was propped against them, sinking into their softness with great relief as the sheets were pulled over his lap.

 And then there was another unfamiliar figure in the room with him. A man this time. Tall and sandy haired with blue eyes, a beaded collar around his neck and a white shendyt around his waist. Recognizing that his gaze was upon him the man prostrated himself into a position which was half a bow and half kneeling on all fours, holding the position for the space of a few heartbeats before rising back to his feet and addressing him.

“Lord Setekh, you’re awake.” Perhaps he knew that Levi couldn’t speak. Perhaps he hadn’t expected an answer at all. Either way he continued speaking without pause. “I am Farlan, the High Priest of your Cult and your most devoted follower. I wanted to let you know that you are safe here and that your worshipers shall attend to your every need while you recover. You’ve already met Isabelle.”

“I’m sure that you can do this later, Farlan. Look at him; he’s exhausted and famished. Pester him once he’s regained the strength to speak.”

The glare that the blonde sent her way was only half-hearted, partially due to the familiarity which plainly existed between them and partially because it was obvious that the focus of their attention was fighting a losing battle to remain awake.

The wave of a hand saw a number of servants entering the room in a rush, bearing with them baskets of dates and bread a plate of mutton and a pottery jug of sweet wine. Levi didn’t know what annoyed him more, the fact that they had set the baskets of food-all of which were capable of creating either crumbs or stains-on the bed beside him or the fact that, despite his maddening hunger, he _still_ couldn’t move to feed himself. Managing a rather put out sigh he closed his eyes, resigned to being teased near to death by the loaf of bread which was practically sitting on the pillow next to his head.

Something smooth and cold gently pressed against his lips and his eyes snapped open again in surprise. He stared at the date for a solid three seconds before realizing what it was and, with some difficulty due to his persistent weakness, bit down. Sweetness exploded across his tongue, a little bit of dark juice running down his lips and over his chin. How long had it been since he’d last eaten? A full day since leaving for Cairo. Though how long it had been since he’d boarded that plane Levi had no way of knowing.

His stomach roared in response to the insufficient morsel he’d been given, and thankfully for his paralyzed state the surrounding crush of servants were all too happy to feed him out of their hands. Crust crackled as the bread was broken into small chunks, offered to him along with shreds of meat and more of the delicious fruit. The wine poured into a pottery cup and presented to him in the interim. Wetting his cracked lips and relieving the dryness in his mouth at last.

They continued to feed him until he refused to accept any more from them, removing what little was left of the meal and retreating from the room. Farlan and Isabelle bowed out as well, the door swinging quietly shut behind them. At last left alone in silence Levi allowed himself to take swift stock of the situation.

_They’ve mistaken me for the God of the Desert, and I have no doubt at all that if they discover the fact that I’m an imposter the fate I’ll meet with will be far from pleasant. I’d rather not be clubbed to death, stoned or mummified alive…I suppose it’s better to play the part I’ve been assigned as best I can. At least until I can figure out how to get back to my own time. **If** I can get back to my own time._

He relaxed further against the pillows, consciousness drifting further and further away from him with each passing moment.

_And they told me I wouldn’t be able to make any use of a Mythology minor._

Unable to continue his fight against exhaustion Levi allowed himself to slip at last into the quiet darkness of deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shendyt - Linen wrap around skirts held in place with belts. Worn by men of all social demographics, usually white as is the natural color of the cloth but colored with dyes when worn by royalty etc. During this time they would have been worn short, reaching not quite to mid-thigh.  
> Karasiris - Linen dresses worn by women. Also typically white as is the natural color of the fabric but colored with dyes worn by those of higher status.  
> Khol - Black makeup made from ground galena or lead. Worn as eyeliner and to darken the lashes/eyebrows as it was believed to have medicinal properties, keep flies at bay and protect from the sun  
> Cults - In Ancient Egypt Cults were groups of priests etc who practiced the worship of a particular God/Goddess out of a specific temple. During this time Ombos was the center of the Cult of Setekh.  
> A note on the importance of the color Red and the turquois belt - Setekh is associated with the color red, and also in some myths with the turquois stone.


	4. His Nephew, the Son of Ra

Still unable to walk without assistance but at last able to do more than blink Levi slouched in the great stone chair he’d been set in to lounge, made moody by boredom and far too much attention. He had always been a loner, not misanthropic by any means and perfectly functional in any necessary social situation but alone time was something which he valued greatly and thus far he’d gotten none of it during his waking hours. His ‘worshipers’ swarmed about him at all times like worker ants around their queen, attending to his every perceivable need and lavishing him with adoration in hopes, he imagined, of currying his favor. And all the while he couldn’t ask for the one thing that he really wanted from them-space-without damaging the role he was forced by circumstances to play.

                Setekh.

                In the rapidly approaching three days that he’d been at the Temple of the Desert God in Ombos he’d never once been left without the company of at least three attendants and the High Priest himself, so when they all suddenly vacated the room like rats fleeing from a sinking ship he was simultaneously relieved and concerned. Unable to rise from his chair and escape whatever had frightened them away he was left with nothing to do but await its arrival and face it down with all the confidence which would be expected of a God as powerful as the one he’d been christened as.

His hand tightened around the Was Scepter which was his only protection if it came down to a fight, the smooth wood worrying beneath his fingers as the stone fork on the end tapped quietly against the ground. The only outward sign of his concern. His grey eyes focused on the doors across from him, posture poised like a waiting cat for whatever was coming to make an appearance.

And make an appearance it did.

The doors swung wide with a protesting creak, allowing the man in the hallway to sweep regally into the room with swift sure steps. Unlike the others he did not rush to prostrate himself at his feet but instead removed his crown with an almost casual err and knelt briefly before rising once again.

 As a sign of respect, rather than replacing it the man held the crown in his hands. Large hands with long fingers many of which bore golden rings inlaid with emeralds and amethyst. Levi took in the gold and deep blue shendyt and the lion’s tail worn wrapped around his waist as a belt. His gaze traveled upwards over the sun kissed skin of his exposed chest, pausing momentarily on the golden collar around his neck and the pelt of a black leopard draped about broad shoulders before moving to his face. Due to the makeup which had been applied to it his face was slightly paler than the rest of him and possessed of a minor glazed quality similar to that of a porcelain doll. Features well balanced and feline. Lips tinted red with ochre, looking soft despite the deserts unforgiving heat. Eyes the color of the stones on his belt, edged in with khol and shadowed with a vibrant violet hue.

It took him only an instant to realize that he was looking at the Cobra King.

 _Hanji was right. His head is much less triangular in person._ Was the first thought which came to mind. “So you’re Ra’s brat.”

The Pharaoh’s face broke into a smile which curved like a scimitar’s blade. The teeth revealed by the motion were straight and white and the gesture might have been pleasant had it not been for the all too knowing twist to its corners as he looked upon him. “I am Eren VI, Great Uncle. Known to our people as Cobra. On hearing of your arrival I rushed here to greet you but with the retreat of the Nile as the dry season draws near the trip from Thebes took longer than I would have liked. Forgive me.”

“Tch.”

“If I may ask, Lord of Storms, why have you come down to walk among us? Have we somehow displeased the Heavens?” there was an edge of fear to his voice as he asked the next question. “Is the world to end?”

“You can relax, Eren. The sky isn’t about to shatter and fall on your head if that’s what you’re worried about.” Wincing slightly, he adjusted his position on the stone throne. “I haven’t come to level Upper Egypt, to exact revenge for some slight or even to protect your kingdom despite my status as your patron. As a matter of fact I didn’t come here by choice at all.”

This much certainly seemed to garner the Pharaoh’s attention. His posture straightened further and he peered raptly up at him through wild brown bangs.

“Apep.” He watched the young man flinch at the invocation of the creature’s name through clenched teeth. “For centuries I’ve battled with him. Night after night I’d impaled him with my spear but the bastard was cunning and I never managed to do more than wound him. Until our last battle.”

His grip tightened around the scepter in his hands.

“He grew bold, this time, and wrapped himself about the entire ship. Crushing it in his coils. When he tried to swallow the sun I rammed my spear down his throat, killing him, but not before he swallowed me. I cut myself free, but his tainted blood cast a curse upon me and stole my powers. Made me mortal. And there is no place for mortality in the Realm of the Gods. Until I’ve regained my powers and my true body I cannot return home.”

“You’re trapped here?”

Levi sniffed and turned his head away. “Didn’t I just say that, Shit Head?”

Eren didn’t acknowledge his response. “So the odd clothing I was told that you were wearing when you were found-?”

“Magic armor-when in battle it would transform from cloth to scaling. Pity that it was ruined, as it was a pain in the ass to get my sister to imbue it in the first place. Still bitter after what I did to her husband even after all these years; says that I overreacted.” He leaned back against the stone. “I say he had it coming.”

“Well, you have my word that as long as you are with us you’ll not want for anything.”

“Good to know,” said in a rather unimpressed grunt.

“Are you pleased with your accommodations here at your Temple, Great Uncle?”

“So what if I’m not?”

“You’re the patron of our people and a God on earth, as I am. Even if they are your worshipers, you shouldn’t be confined solely to the company of Humans. Isolated as you are by your circumstances from the other Gods, I’m sure you must be lonely.”

Erwin, with his impressive Eyebrows and pressed suits and patient tolerance of his requests for grants and leave to run his tests. Petra, able to manage the swarms of idiots that passed through the museum each day with a grace that he could never hope to and who was also capable of using teapots in a way which defied all logic. Eld, his assistant who despite his occasional snarky comments was quite possibly the most tolerant of the Smithsonian’s staff of his knit picking and obsession. Hanji, who had indirectly gotten him into this mess in the first place.

Levi had come to realized that he would more than likely never see any of them again. That he would live and die in Ancient Egypt, severed from his own time. A part of him even questioned if he still existed in modernity at all, perhaps registered as a missing person, or if he’d simply been erased from the perceptions of all who might have known him by the same magic that had dragged him there.

He had to struggle to swallow the lump in his throat and when he spoke his voice was brittle. “Even if I am what could you possible do about it?”

“Nothing about your curse, unfortunately.” And it did sound as if he truly regretted the fact. “But I can invite you to live with me in the palace in Thebes until the time comes for you to return to the Heavens.”

Stay with him in the palace in the Capital? The offer was incredibly tempting, for more reasons than just the simple fact that putting distance between himself and the Cult of Setekh would potentially increase his chances of time alone from nonexistent to unlikely.

Eren waited patiently for his answer, turquois eyes locked on him and head tilted slightly to one side.

“I’ve yet to regain my full physical strength, and at current still require the aid of my followers to walk. But I will order them to prepare a boat for me, so that I may depart for Thebes as soon as I am able.”

This news seemed to delight the Pharaoh, as his face broke once more into a smile. “We shall expect you with eager anticipation, Great Uncle. For now, I’ll leave you in peace to continue your recovery.” With another slight bow he replaced his crown on his head and exited in the same manner he had come, leaving Levi alone in the room.

He was barely provided the time to realize the fact let alone enjoy it before his ‘worshipers’ returned. Resuming their business as if they’d never left.

May as well make use of the annoyance.

“Farlan.” The sandy blonde immediately turned to face him. “You were aware that he was coming?”

“I was Lord Setekh. I set for him when you first arrived.”

“Tell me about my Nephew.”

Likely having been about to apologize for not informing him prior to the disturbance, he pulled up short in surprise. “Tell you about him?”

“Yes. Tell me about him. How old is he? How long has he ruled? How good of a Pharaoh is he? Once I’ve regained my strength I am going to be staying with him at the palace, and as such I need to know what he’s like.”

“You’re going to be…I’ll send for the craftsmen immediately so that-.”

“The boat can wait. Answer my questions.”

The Priest hesitated a moment before answering. “The Cobra King has only been on the throne for four years, taking over from his advisor who directed the Kingdom in the interim between his parents’ death and his ascension to the throne. He’s 19, and only barely, and he’s never had to lead the kingdom in any serious capacity. Times have been peaceful and the harvests good, though those facts likely have more connection to the benevolence of yourself and your fellow Gods than Eren’s hand.”

“I see.” With relative difficulty he managed to wield both the chair and the Was in his hands as crutches to help him take his feet. “You can send for the craftsmen now. I’ve tired and wish to return to my room.”

He hated having to depend so much on others even for something as simple as walking down a hallway, half of his weight propped against the taller man and the other half against the scepter. On finally reaching the bed he was relieved.

“The boat should be complete within a week, ready to leave as soon as you are of a mind to depart.”

“I hope to be healed by then.”

Only one more week and he could escape from at least a small margin of the constant overwhelming attention. Levi only hoped that his sanity could last that long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was Scepter – symbol of power and dominion which Gods and Pharaohs were often depicted in carvings. Though most all Gods are shown with it in at least one instance it is typically associated with Setekh, and the carved animal head on the top and forked tail at the bottom are believed to represent the Set Beast.
> 
> Magic Armor – The statement Levi makes about his ‘sister’ being upset with him about his ‘giving his brother what he had coming’ is reference to the myth about Setekh chopping up Osiris and scattering his body parts so that he couldn’t be resurrected because he wanted to become the King of Egypt, which eventually lead to his conflict with Horus and the rivalry between Upper and Lower Egypt.


	5. Festivals and Lettuce

The graceful bow of the Abydos arched upwards like the neck of an egret as it cut through the sapphire waters of the Nile, pushed along at great speed by the wind which filled its lone sail and the twenty men-ten along each of the vessel’s sleek sides-at the oars. Levi clung to it with one arm to keep himself from tumbling down into the Nile below as he balanced on the edge looking out over the shrinking river at the boats ferrying supplies and travelers, the glittering red desert sands and the haze of heat in the distance.

                “Lord Setekh.” By now he could recognize the High Priest by his voice; he turned to face the other man but made no move to disembark from his rather precarious position dangling from the prow. A gust of hot wind threw the dangling sides of the crimson Khat he wore to protect his head from the sun into his eyes, and he reached up with his one free hand to wrestle them back into their proper position. “We should be arriving to Thebes within two hours, my Lord.”

                “Thank you, Farlan. As beautiful as this river is it will be a relief to be back on solid ground.” He returned his gaze to staring out at the water, hearing the man’s footsteps retreat behind him.

                Levi shifted his position to the other sight of the ornate prow, relieving the stress of his weight from his right arm. His toes curled around the edge of the boat, finding firm purchase against the wet wood. A pride of lions drank at the river’s edge, a few raising their heads to watch as the boat passed by. The plated back of a crocodile rose briefly from the water before submerging again. The sun beat down with all the brutal fervor it could muster, warming his shoulders and the back of his neck but failing to burn the pale flesh through the protective oils he’d been all but marinated in prior to setting out.

                The Abydos bumped against the wooden dock at Thebes and, much to the shock and dismay of the High Priest, Levi took a flying leap off of the boat landing with a lithe grace on the floating wood and nearly tumbling into the river when it dipped beneath his weight.

                “My Lord-!”

                “I’m fine!” He removed himself from the blonde’s hold and straightened his Khat. “Meant to do that.”

                No one questioned the validity of that statement though he had the distinct feeling that they didn’t believe him. Farlan dismounted the boat in the manner of a normal person, balanced perfectly on the floating dock which was not as steady as it looked, and proceeding towards him.

                “The Palace is located at the far edge of the city. The Pharaoh is waiting to meet you there.”

                “I understand.” Levi spoke distractedly, barely looking over at the other as he searched in vain for the source of the rhythmic clanging which echoed towards them from atop the slopping bank. “What is that sound?”

                “Music, Lord Setekh. A festival is being thrown in your honor and the people of Thebes have been eagerly awaiting your arrival.” Farlan told him as the pair began to surmount the incline of the Nile’s bank.

                Reaching the crown of the muddy slope Levi looked out across the space which still separated them from the streets of Thebes. A row of sandstone sphinxes stood sentry at the entryway onto the city’s streets, their paws folded atop their pedestals and their blank eyes glaring towards the horizon. Palm trees rose at intervals to split the horizon like pillars, their fanning green leaves rattling dryly in the arid wind. The nearest houses were single storied and built up from bricks of mud though the further his eyes traveled into the city the taller the buildings became, transforming from mud to stone and ultimately culminating in the Palace. The imposing structure rose in the distance above the city, its massive monolithic form raised up on stone pillars the color of dried bone.

                Crowding the streets and the flat roofs of the buildings, dressed in their best clothing and most valuable jewelry which gleamed beneath the sun, were people. Smiling. Waving lengths of rough cloth stained in an array of vivid colors-most notable amongst them red-and Sistrums made of bronze. These, he swiftly realized, were the source of the loud jangling. They danced and clapped to the music waving their hands and calling to him in a swell of voices, each indistinguishable from the other. A mixture of rose and white lotus petals rained down from the rooftops, settling across his bare shoulders brushing down his back and carpeting his path.

                A small group of naked children broke free of the crowd, far too engrossed in their games to notice they had run out in front of them. One, a boy of no more than four, lost his footing and tumbled head over heels but Levi managed to catch him by the arm before he hit the ground. The child stared up at him with dark eyes wide with surprise and wonder at his white skin and silver eyes. His friends, likewise, had paused their game to gather and stare.

                “Watch yourself, brat. If you’re not careful you’re going to wind up getting hurt.” Retrieving the little ball that the child had dropped he handed it back to him and sent them on their way.

                “Lord Setekh-.”                             

                “It’s fine, they’re children.” He straightened up and they continued down the street towards the waiting palace.

                A massive wall of sandstone barred their passage further, the wooden gate tightly closed with guards posted on both sides. Like most other men Levi had seen since arriving in the Old Kingdom they were dressed in a white Shendyt but also wore a scaled chest piece and held spears of wood and iron. They only took one look at Levi before ordering the gate raised to allow them to pass. More guards were stationed within the Palace’s walls, rushing to open doors and clear the way for them. Servants dropping everything to kneel until he’d passed and slaves peering from around the sides of the pillars they had hidden themselves behind.

                The throne room was cavernous and expansive, Scribes scratching furiously at scrolls of papyrus and a Vizier and High Priest conferring with the Pharaoh as he lounged on the throne with a Mau in his lap. Farlan and the others who had accompanied him from the Temple in Ombos backed out swiftly, leaving him alone, and only moments later Eren noticed him.

                Waving a hand to silence both men he lifted the cat into his arms and rose from his throne. The Vizier, a blue eyed blonde with hair worn in a style which made him look like a mushroom, turned to observe the focus of the Pharaoh’s attention with respectful curiosity. The High Priest’s face contorted momentarily into annoyance and then into something much darker but before Levi could identify it fully his face had smoothed out again.

                “Great Uncle, you’ve arrived.” Unlike the first time they had met Eren neither removed his white crown nor bowed. “How went your travel from Ombos?”

                “Well enough; long but not overly tiring.” He reached out to stroke the cat as well. “With how long that it’s been since I’ve ventured down from the Heavens I had forgotten how beautiful Egypt is.”

                “I’m glad to hear that you didn’t encounter too much trouble on your travels.” Eren chirped. “I’m sure that you’re hungry by now; as I’m sure that you noticed on your way here the people of Upper Egypt have all heard of your arrival and many are celebrating across the Kingdom. We at the Palace are no different, though here is a much less wild affair.”

                That was a relief.

                “If you would please accompany me outside to the pleasure gardens, a banquet has been prepared in your honor.”

                “Lead the way.”

                Eren smiled at him, deposited the cat back on the throne and led him down the hall and out into the Palace’s garden.

                The massive pleasure garden was well manicured carefully tended to and more than just a little bit impressive. A wide array of flowers in various colors had been planted, some of which-such as Chrysanthemums, Roses and Anemone-he recognized. A square pond edged in colored tiles had been built into the ground, its clear surface bejeweled with white and blue lotus flowers and colorful fish and was large enough to fit a twenty man row boat. Eren led him calmly through a tunnel of grapevines and peach and pomegranate trees heavy with fruit towards a group of long tables which had been erected beneath the shade of flowering Acacia and Tamarisk trees.

                Despite the desert sun the garden was comfortably cooled by the shade, and the wind which blew wet from the pond and scented by the fragrance of the fruits and flowers.

                The four erected tables were made from wood and had been draped with white linens. At one end of each were positioned a handful of chairs, subsiding a third of the way down into stools and leaving the final third of the table entirely devoid of any seating at all. Most of the chairs had already been filled by men and women in clothes of fine linen and jewelry laden with precious stones but none of the stools of the spaces at the barren ends saw any habitation as of yet. At the head of the tables sat a vacant throne-like chair draped in red linen and to its right a second draped in leopard skins.

                “The noble heads of all the Nomes of Upper Egypt have come to welcome you amongst us on this day of celebration, Uncle. May our Kingdom flourish with your grace.” The Pharaoh deposited Levi in the position of honor before taking the pelt-draped chair. “Let the feast begin!”

                Just as they had seemed to at the Temple in Ombos servants materialized from their lush surroundings, baring baskets and plates of food and pitchers of water and wine. Slaves came in behind them moving great bejeweled harps and other instruments into position for the well-dressed musicians who would play them.

                “Much effort has gone into seeing to it that all at this banquet is to your liking.” Eren spoke from beside him, pulling his attention away from the music and the performers who had begun to dance for the entertainment of the guests and back to the table now laden with fresh bread, roasted meat and ripe fruit. “To that end I’m proud to be able to present to you your favored meal.”

                A golden plate was sent before him laden with an artful display of fresh lettuce leaves, beads of clear water glittering across their dark green surface. He was far from a Vegetarian and had never once in his life regarded a salad-let alone a head of undressed lettuce-with anything more than the disdainful eye of the monthly mandatory ‘health meal’. It would never be something he’d consider eating for pleasure.

                Unfortunately for him Setekh was depicted eating almost nothing else.

                _Keep up the mask, that’s what matters. Even if you end up having to eat this for the rest of your life at least you’ll still **be** alive!_

                Gritting his teeth and trying to prevent his reluctance from showing on his face, Levi picked up one of the leaves and brought it to his lips. It broke beneath his teeth with a crisp crunch.

                The white fluid it secreted was only mildly disturbing.

                “So tell me, Son of Ra, what exactly I am to expect from life at the castle?” he snagged a large peach from a basket in the arms of a passing servant. The fruit was heavy in his hand, the vibrant red and orange coloring of its soft skin standing out harshly against his pale flesh.

                “I’ll give you a tour of the castle once the feast is finished.” He promised, perhaps a bit too interested in the clear juices running down over his lips and the slight motion of his throat as he swallowed. “And you needn’t worry over policy of any sort, as the running of the country won’t be your responsibility-it’s below you, as the brother of Osiris.”

                “And if I _wanted_ to know about policy?”

                Eren tilted his head to the side, green eyes falling half-lidded to reveal the violet shading of the lids. “ _D_ o you want to?”

                “What, you’ve never heard of a rhetorical question?”

                He snorted, an odd almost trilling sound of humor which attracted the curious attention of those nearby. “And they say you don’t have humor.”

                “Most don’t have a taste for my sense of humor.” Setting the cleaned pit down beside his plate, Levi picked up another leaf. “I’m surprised that you seem to be one of the few who do.”

                Eren adjusted his position in his chair, plucking a date from a nearby basket and running it thoughtfully over his soft lips before popping it into his mouth. “With all possible respect, Great Uncle, you’re known to be strange.”

                “Strange? That’s all that I am to you?”

                “Strange. Unpredictable. Dangerous, should you become angered. But you’re a powerful and integral ally to the dynasty, defender of Upper Egypt and friend to the dead just as Anubis is. If not for your ladder no one would reach the Heavens.”

                Levi settled against the back of his chair and, with some difficulty due to the tightness of his Shendyt, crossed one leg over the other. “Well, good to know that I’m given at least some credit where credit is due.”

                “You’re the bravest of all the Gods, the only one able to face down Apep.” Picking up a jug Eren poured a brimming glass of deep concord wine. “For that, if nothing else, you deserve to be shown the proper respect.” He proffered the cup to him.

                _I swear, this kid is trying to get me drunk._ But he took the cup regardless, the richness of the alcohol mingling well with the acidic peach and compensating for the flavor the lettuce had lacked. He barely managed to finish half of the wine before the Pharaoh beside him refilled it. When Levi shot him a look of annoyance he noticed the pink tinge barely visible beneath the makeup he wore. _He already **is** drunk!_

                When Eren set the jug down again he nearly knocked it over. “Drink! Drink! It’s a celebration!”

                _Be it 2016 AD or 2686 BC drunken brats are still the same: annoying._ Drinking from his cup once more Levi purposely set it down out of Eren’s reach and turned his attention to the entertainers. Beautiful women in spotless white Kalasiris, light-tinted golden jewelry and lotus blossoms in their hair spun and twirled in a dance to the rising and falling tones of the music. Many of the guests at the table were clapping along with the song, a few singing and tapping their feet.

                Levi smiled. _Hanji would have gladly died for a chance to see and hear this. No note music from Ancient Egypt has survived so there’s no way for modern man to know how it might have sounded, and their methods of dance are only conjecture._

                Of course, had Hanji been the one who wound up stranded over 6,000 years in the past she’d probably have been mistaken as some sort of punishment from the Gods due to her inability to keep quiet for longer than five seconds. That thought, despite the painful pangs of nostalgia it brought on, succeeded in drawing a quiet chuckle from him.

                Despite his general dislike of being made the center of attention Levi had to admit, at least to himself, that the affair had been more than just a little bit enjoyable and that when it ended as the sun began to set behind the palace he was somewhat disappointed. The nobles bid their farewells to him and the now obviously drunk Pharaoh beside him before taking their leave to return to their allotted lands. The slaves carted the instruments they had brought out back inside, followed by musicians and entertainers who had used them and the servants setting immediately to work clearing away the dishes and now empty baskets which littered the tables.

                By then he’d been sitting for so long that joints cracked up the entire length of his body when he rose to his feet.

                “Well brat, it would seem that it’s time for that tour you promised me.”

                “Oh right, the tour!” Eren hiccupped, words slurring slightly as he leapt to his feet. The fact that he could remain upright and steady was more than somewhat surprising. “Come with me!”

                “Short legs, brat! Slow down!” He scrambled after the brunet who bounded ahead of him out of the garden and back into the Palace walls. The torches hanging from brackets had since been lit and now crackled with light, throwing dancing shadows against the walls.

                “The throne room is that way; you saw it earlier. It is, unfortunately, where I spend most of my time sorting through appeals by merchants and nobles for a greater allowance and dictating for the scribes. Mostly trivial things, though I suppose that in a way they’re necessary. You’ve seen the main pleasure garden and, I’m sure, the front garden as well.”

                Off he went again, turning left and right and then rushing down a staircase; he opened a door to reveal a flour and soot stained room littered with cooking tools and many of the dishes used during the banquet.

                “These are the kitchens, where meals are prepared by skilled cooks and bakers.” He allowed the doors to swing closed. “The servant’s quarters are down that way and, a little further and down another set of stairs, is the dungeon. Currently unoccupied.”

                Back up the stairs and down another labyrinth of intersecting hallways, Eren pointing out door after door and naming each and every room for what it was though most of the explanations simply went in one ear and out the other. What Levi did manage to catch were:

                Guard’s Quarters.

                Bath House.

                Living quarters of the High Priest and Vizier.

                Eren’s room.

                The room which was now to be considered his.

                “I’ve only a small harem and no prime consort as of yet. All beautiful women. All perfectly capable. All, well…women. Which could be considered unfortunate as I know that your tastes,” Eren ran the scarlet linen of the headdress the raven across from him still wore between his fingers, “differ. I’ve no male concubines readily available at the Palace but if you’ve needs to be satisfied I’d be…” seeming to ground himself within a moment of clarity at the last possible second before making a total fool of himself he released the fabric and stepped back. “I’ll let you rest, now.”

                Moments later Eren was gone.

                _What the hell was that?_ Levi couldn’t help but wonder, staring dumbfounded after where the youth had disappeared. _This is why fucking kids shouldn’t be allowed to fucking drink!_

                Huffing out a sigh, Levi pushed open the doors before him and stopped into what was now his room.

                _No red. Thank God._

                An open window allowed in the cooling air of coming night and granted him an unchallenged view of the waking stars. The bed was large and swathed in linens dyed in soft shades of blue and silver. In the corner sat a stone desk and a wooden trunk in which to stash his clothes and jewelry. Levi stretched across the linen-draped mattress with an exhausted sigh, settling in against the pillows and sheets before drawing the damned object from the folds of his clothing.

                The silver scarab glittered in the dimming light, its surface cold against his skin despite the hot sun and a day spent pressed against his body. It’s wings were now open and spread wide, unveiling a body made of lapis-lazuli, deep sapphire in color and veined in black.

                _Why?_

                He pressed down on the wings, pushing them back into their former closed position, only to have them click back into their former position once released.

                _Why me? What is it about me that made it necessary I be sent here? Or was there even **anything** about me at all; if someone else had picked this damned thing up, would it have opened for them? Would they have wound up on the edge of the Nile instead?_

                The fashioned eyes of the amulet stared blankly up at him, the scarab providing no answers. Defeated, Levi tossed the amulet to the floor beside the bed and slid himself carefully beneath the linen sheets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Abydos – Boats usually used for funerary purposes in the pre-dynastic/early old Kingdom but were also depicted as the transport of Gods
> 
> Khat – Linen headdresses worn by noble men and Gods
> 
> Sistrum – A metallic handheld instrument shaped like a U. Small pieces of metal were tied to it so that it would make noise when it moves. Dependent on the metal used the sound would differ.
> 
> Clothing note – Children in Ancient Egypt were not dressed until reaching the age of around six, at which point they wore the same fashions as their parents.
> 
> Mau – A breed of cat believed to be the same as kept by the Egyptian Pharaohs and one of the few naturally spotted domesticated cats.
> 
> Crown – The Nemes headdress commonly depicted as being worn by Pharaohs in the media was actually worn only during burial and though no crowns of any type have been physically discovered by any archeologists plenty of evidence in carvings etc of many different crowns each of which would be worn during different events. The white crown is specifically associated with Upper Egypt.
> 
> Seating – In Ancient Egypt seating at banquets was according to Social Class. Pharaohs/Nobles sat in chairs, servants on stools and slaves on the floor.
> 
> Nome – A city state lead by a noble who is subordinate to the ruling Pharaoh.
> 
> Lettuce – Favorite food of Setekh and in some myths the only thing he would eat it was believed to be the sacred food of a fertility Goddess and because he hoped to counteract the infertility caused by his connection with the desert.
> 
> Note on Music – Music was an important part of everyday life to the Ancient Egyptians. Being able to sing was a skill commonly cultivated, especially among the wealthy, and musicians were valued. It was culturally expected that listeners would clap along with the music, and the act of doing so was considered sacred.
> 
> Lapis-lazuli – Jewelry made from this stone was believed by Ancient Egyptians to represent divine favor.


	6. A God Amongst Men and the Miracles of His Hands

It was to the hesitant voice of a servant that he awoke the next morning, the angle of the sunlight streaming in through the windows hinting at the time as being somewhere around midmorning. He’d slept well the night before, aided by the exhaustion from his travels up the Nile from Ombos and the alcohol he’d consumed at the feast in the garden, but he still found himself reluctant to leave his bed. Limbs resting heavy against the soft yield of the mattress. Bare skin tingling beneath the light linens heaped high on the bed.

                His stomach, however, was made far too eager by the prospect of food to allow the rest of him to lay there and demanded that he rise immediately. Grumbling quietly to himself over the matter of his unruly biological functions Levi rolled out of his bed and padded to the trunk where he’d stashed his clothing from the night before. Securing the red shendyt back into place around his hips and cinching the belt but leaving the khat behind, he left his room and with minor difficulty managed to find his way back through the halls of the Palace and into the dining room.

                Eren and another cat, darker in color than the one from the day before, were already there. Waiting patiently for him at another long table already stacked with bread and fruit. A glad sight for him to find a lack of lettuce.

                “Ah, Great Uncle, there you are. You slept well? The room is to your satisfaction?”

                “Fine.” Levi grunted, grey eyes carefully seeking the other’s face for signs of any embarrassment or, at least, acknowledgement over the fact that he very nearly propositioned him the night before but none were visibly present. _So drunk he doesn’t remember what happened. I suppose that explains his actions._ That much decided he pulled out a chair and calmly sat down.

                “Is there anything more that you could want?” the cat purred loudly in his lap, tilting its head into his large ring-clad hand. “Anything I can get for you? Or…anyone?”

                _No, I was wrong. It isn’t that he doesn’t remember what happened last night it’s just that he’s not as ashamed of blatant thirst as he should be._ Levi broke open a pomegranate, sending jewels of deep garnet scattering across the table as he grasped at straws for any possible change in subject in order to avoid having the answer. “Do you ever think about what will happen to you?”

                Eren raised an eyebrow, expression written over by confusion. “What will…happen to me? When? I don’t follow.”

                “When you die.”

                “…Well you’d know more about precisely what happens in the afterlife than I would, but I believe what the priests tell me; that my heart will be weighed against the feather of Ma’at and if I’m a good person then-.”

                “That isn’t what I meant. What will happen to your body?”

                “Oh! That’s easy: I’ll be mummified.”

                _Christ, this kid is thick._ Levi huffed. “That’s not what I meant either. Do I really need to spell it out for you?”

                Eren blinked at him. “Apparently.”

                “Your tomb. Do you ever wonder what will happen to you when you die in regards to where your ass is going to be put? Have they started on it yet? How long before it’s finished? Have they even considered-are you constipated or something? What the hell is that face?”

                In the space of time that it had taken for him to say the four letter word, tomb, the Pharaoh had gone from semi-flirtatious and slightly confused to slouching and pouting like an angst ridden teen.

                “I’m 19. 19!”

                “…Yes?” as if that answered anything.

                “I’m not a relic! There’s no plague or famine! The Kingdom isn’t at war! There are no assassins attempting to poison my wine on a daily basis! Yet they stared building it the minute I was on the throne! Finished it two months ago!”

_Why do I have the feeling that I just stepped on a wasp’s nest?_

                “Do I look old to you?”

                “Do you even know how old _I_ am, brat?” Levi considered it a victory when the brunet failed to fully strangle a reluctant chuckle. “Look I didn’t mean to get the blood flowing. And I don’t think you’re old, you’re a micro shit compared to me-old as the desert sand-so calm the fuck down. I only brought it up because I want to know if you’ve visited.”

                Now Eren looked dumbfounded. “Visited?” he repeated, as if it were the most foreign concept in the world. “Why would I ever visit my own tomb? The only time you would go to your tomb is when you’re dead.”

                “To make sure that they actually built a pyramid and that your shendyt isn’t in such a bunch over nothing but a hole in the ground.”

                That comment succeeded in gaining a small smile. “If that were the case it would at least be an impressive hole. They’ve been digging for four years.”

                “A hole, no matter how impressive, is still a hole.” Levi bit into a loaf of bread as he watched Eren’s face shift before the Pharaoh sighed.

                “You want to go.”

                It wasn’t a question. Levi stiffened slightly, anchoring his eyes to the bread in his hand. “A tomb is one of the few things which a God like me will never have; being immortal, we don’t die. Can you blame me for my curiosity?”

                Eren considered this for a few moments before nodding slowly. The speed of his stroking of the cat in his lap increasing slightly in speed.

                “I suppose not. And I suppose that you have a point. About curiosity.” It was more than clear that the prospect made him uncomfortable. “Can you ride a horse?”

                “I don’t make a habit of it, but yes. Why?”

                “Because we’ll head out after we’ve finished eating breakfast. The tomb isn’t too far from the city. Of course I’ll have to alert my Vizier, Armin, to the fact that I’ll be gone for most of the day so that he and Nik can tend to whatever matters of concern may arise.”

                “If it causes you such disquiet we don’t-.”

                “It’s fine. I’m fine.” Straightening abruptly from his seat and dumping the purring animal unceremoniously onto the floor Eren turned his back on him and left the room.

                The cat swiftly found solace in occupying Levi’s lap instead, settling down into a purring ball with astonishing speed and preventing him from going after Eren even if he’d wanted to.

                _I suppose I really shouldn’t be surprised this kid has issues, but why so touchy over death? It isn’t like I’m talking to him in the 21 st century when he’d have a reasonable expectation of living to almost 100. _Focusing his attention on a bushel of grapes Levi reached down to scratch the cat behind its ears.

                He’d finished eating by the time that Eren returned, his crown missing and the pelt and brightly colored shendyt replaced with a far more neutral white one. To Levi’s mild surprise a pair of leather sandals were secured to his feet and another pair were dangling from one hand. These he passed to the smaller raven with no explanation and a clear expectation that he put them on.

                Setting the cat gently on the tile floor Levi did as he’d silently been bid, slipping them onto his feet before following Eren out to the stables. He was handed a cloth saddle and a strip of knotted leather which he swiftly worked out was meant to serve as a bridle before being directed to choose a horse.

                He selected the nearest horse to him, a dusty mare with a vague resemblance to an Arabian. Levi clucked at her as he guided the animal gently from its stall, draping the cloth saddle across its back and fitting the bridle into its mouth before leading her outside. Eren was already perched atop a blue-pelted stallion, back straight and shoulders squared as he stared blankly at the sandstone walls surrounding the Palace. His painted face was left carefully blank but the constant motion of his fingers as they worried at the mane of his mount betrayed his agitation.

                “The ride out isn’t too long.” He informed him as Levi hauled himself onto the back of his own steed. “Once having left Thebes we’ll reach the tomb by the time the sun has just dismounted the summit of the sky. And we should return just before nightfall, provided that we don’t dwell there for too long.”

                The poorly hidden message of ‘we’re leaving as soon as possible’ was abundantly clear in the stony effect of his tone.

                “No need to dwell when we’re only looking.”

                Eren responded with a grunt, nudging his horse forward down the path. Levi followed.

                The guards lowered the gates again as they approached, bowing at the waist and holding their position until the pair had passed out onto the streets of Thebes beyond. The citizenry rushed about around them like the flow of a rising tide, almost entirely blind to their presence in their pursuit of the day’s necessary tasks. It came as a great relief to Levi that only a small handful of people noticed their presence and dropped into the dirt amidst running feet and the raised voices of market hawkers.

                Eren’s glazed gaze remained directly ahead of them, the young Pharaoh quiet obviously lost somewhere within his own head.

                They passed between the statues of the sphinxes once again and, just as they reached the crown of the Nile’s bank, turned to ride parallel to and against the great river’s natural flow. Eren prodded his mount into a gallop and Levi followed suit, clinging close to the flank of the mount of the other man so as not to lose sight of him and wind up stranded and lost in the middle of rolling desert sand.

                The sky was devoid of clouds and very blue. The sun bright and hot; a circular coin of ivory embedded into the heavens’ crown. Sweat had soaked his hair completely through, running down his back and leaving him covered in more sand than a snickerdoodle cookie was cinnamon. Needless to say he was starting to regret leaving the khat in his room. Small consolation that Eren bore equal resemblance to a drowned feline by the time they reached the foot of the imposing monument.

                Pyramids were impressive enough in modern times after having survived the rigors of time for so long that their surfaces were worn down by wind and the corners of their pitted stones as rounded off as the edges of a pebble ejected from a river after long periods being held captive by its flow. To view one freshly minted, stones gleaming and edges sharp, was an entirely different type of breath taking and Levi couldn’t help but stare in wonder at its defined form and perfect shape.

                “If you’re really so impressed by them I can order one built for you. I would assume you’re not just one day going to magically transform back into your immortal self; you’ll have to die in your mortal form before you can return to the Heavens and we’ll need a place to put your body.”

                Massive, multi-ton stones. Countless slaves to mine and drag them. Years of toiling and a high potential that many forced to work on the monument would die in the process.

                “Doing that would be far too much effort to go through. I’m not a King.”

                “No, you’re not a King. You’re a God.”

                Gritting his teeth Levi turned away from him. “Let’s just get the hell out of the sun.”

                Eren motioned swiftly towards the opening of the as of yet unused tomb. “The entrance is this way, Great Uncle.”

                The pair dismounted, leaving their horses to wander the nearby area, and began making their way towards the opening. The hot sand gave way beneath his weight, his feet sinking into the almost scalding heat. Levi was glad to step into the solid stone entry of the pyramid and have the chance to shake at least a small portion of the sand from his feet.

                “You look like a cat that has just stepped out of a puddle of water.”

                “And you look just like a brat! Oh wait, it’s not just a look.”

                Eren snorted, the barest trace of a smile briefly surfacing on his handsome face before vanishing again. “I’ve never been down here nor seen any diagrams of the interior but it’s the same as every other pyramid so I’m sure we won’t fall into any booby traps.”

                “What?”

                The brunet had already sauntered down into the dim shadows of the interior. Levi allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness before daring to follow.

                _Was the path that Moblit took me on to reach the burial chamber right, left, right, right, left or left, right, left, left, right?_ He didn’t want to walk into anything meant as deterrence for grave robbers if it were at all possible to avoid doing so. _Fuck, I can’t remember._

                Thankfully they wound up reaching the burial chamber without life threatening incident.

 _It looks even bigger without all of the treasure and the big ass granite coffin._ He thought, looking around at his surroundings just as Eren was. But though he was doing so out of interest it was obvious that the sight of the room where Levi knew full well his body would lay undisturbed for centuries was more than a little bit disturbing to the brunet. _That look doesn’t suit him._ In an effort to distract the distressed youth he blurted out the first thing which came to mind. Unfortunately, that thing was “so, where’s the other burial chamber?”

                Distraction successful. “What other burial chamber?”

                _Why is it that, whenever I speak to him, I always seem to wind up putting my fucking foot in my mouth?_

                He fidgeted uncomfortably beneath the jewel bright gaze of the other man.

                “I mean…what of the resting place of the Queen you’ll one day have? Of your children who may not make it to adulthood? Or, if nothing else, your concubines?”

                This explanation, thankfully, appeared to satisfy the Pharaoh’s confusion. “A Queen and departed heirs too young to take the throne would be buried with me in my chamber. And concubines would be interred in the treasure room. None of them would be important enough to be given their _own_ burial chamber.”

                “I see.”

                Another heavy silence.

                “I think that we have been here for long enough, Great Uncle.” Eren’s voice cut through the blackness around them, making Levi jump. “If we don’t leave soon we won’t get back to Thebes before darkness falls.”

                “If we leave the horses any longer they’re likely to wander off.”

                With that statement a mutual agreement was reached between the two of them and the men exited from the tomb in the same way that they have come. Levi blinked a few times in rapid succession before his eyes managed to adjust to the glare of the sun. Swift whistles brought the horses back to them and, once they were settled back into their saddles they were off again across the rolling sand.

                Even when done in an air conditioned luxury vehicle travel was always exhausting. Riding through the brutal desert heat on the back of a horse was near torturous and beyond trying and so it was with great relief that the pair finally arrived back in Thebes, though if Levi had been expecting a quiet welcome that wasn’t what he got.

                The people there, it seemed, had been keeping sentry for their return and the moment someone caught sight of them they called out in a wordless tone that bordered desperation. A split second later they’d been mobbed by citizens, much to the shared bewilderment of the raven and the Pharaoh.

                Eren opened his mouth to question what was wrong but before he could they spoke over him. A cascade of pleas and fevered imploring of which attempting to gain meaning from was like drinking from a fire hose.

                “Lord Setekh! Defender of the sun! Guardian of the oasis! Help us, please!”

                “The water! It’s been tainted; undrinkable! Please do something!”

                _The largest river in the world is not quite 30 yards away and yet they’re calling on me? If it weren’t so sad it might actually be pathetic._

                “As the desert is within your power so is the life giving oasis; please, Great Uncle, if there’s anything left of your powers I implore you to help my people!”

                Levi looked at Eren, his green eyes wide and frightened, and then at the terrified faces of the common people who feared that tainted water was a sign that they had, perhaps, been cursed. He sighed and dismounted from the horse.

                “Take me to it, and I’ll see if there’s anything that I can do.”

                He barely heard the release of Eren’s held breath over the renewed cries of those surrounding them as they were herded towards the man made reservoir in the center of the city. As Eren hung back halfway between the water and the crowd which had formed, perhaps in fear of the nonexistent ‘curse’, Levi proceeded to the water’s edge and crouched beside it to get a better look.

                _Cloudy, likely from sediment. And from the smell of it I’d gather the run off from the chamber pots they’ve been emptying into the streets has been getting into it as well._ He shuddered at the thought and made a mental note not to drink any water the source of which he couldn’t personally verify.

                Glancing around at his surroundings for anything he could use and spotting the torches used to light the streets he moved away from the water’s edge. Reaching up with minor difficulty to pull a few of the torches down and put out the flames. Hissing to himself at the heat as he broke off the charred portions until he had an armful of charcoal before rushing back to the water. Locating the stone pump and quickly arranging the charcoal to fit into its length. Upon finishing the arrangement he ran water through it, eyeing the stream critically as its color turned from brackish brown to a slightly more clear greyish hue due to the ashes pushed along with it. Cutting off the flow, he stood up.

                “Replace this each morning with the charcoal from the torches burned the night before and you needn’t fear tainted water any longer.”

                Levi looked on in shock as the crowd collapsed, some shouting about miracles and others speaking long swift prayers of thanks that spilled forth in a roiling mess of syllables and words which tripped and tumbled all over themselves. Some crawling forwards on all fours to kiss his feet. He backed away from them, giving ground as if they were voracious animals. Eren was speaking to him. Levi could see his mouth moving but his mind couldn’t comprehend the words over the ringing in his ears and the pressure rapidly building behind his eyes.

                It was too much. He couldn’t do it anymore.

                “ _Great Uncle, wait!”_

But he paid no mind to Eren’s shout, leaving the Pharaoh and both of the horses behind. Scattering geysers of red sand from his feet in graceful arcs as he bolted up the road as if pursued by wraiths. The scream of the wind in his ears as he ran accusatory and harsh.

                Liar.

                Liar!

                False God!

                Charcoal filters and the most primitive of modern tricks would only pass as ‘miracles’ for so long. What would happen when they called on him to save them from a storm or floor or famine? Something which he couldn’t hope to halt or turn? When they realized, as they were sure to inevitably, that he was nothing but another man?

                The guards barely managed to raise the gate before he barreled through the opening, up the garden path and back into the Palace. Past surprised servants and nearly bowling the Vizier over. Diving into his room and slamming the door. Baring it with the accompanying lock. Tearing the linens from the bed and curling up into a ball-making himself as small as he could manage-beneath the desk. Wrapping the linens tight into a secure nest. Bedding down in it and closing his eyes. Waiting for his heart to slow.

                How long would it be before it all came crashing down?

                What would his punishment be?

                Levi could only hope that his death wouldn’t be too painful.

                As the little raven struggled to calm himself and relax in the wake of his breakdown he was all too aware of the scarab’s empty eyes watching him from the far corner of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoes – Ancient Egyptians walked around barefoot most of the time, only wearing shoes during special occasions or when their feet might be injured. Poor people wore sandals woven from dried papyrus or palm leaves and the rich wore sandals made of leather.
> 
> Horses – Though whether or not the Ancient Egyptians rode horses is still in question it is known that they did have horses, as they used them to pull their chariots.


	7. The Cobra's Concern

                “The barely farmers are seeking aid with their harvest and have requested that some of the Palace slaves be sent.”

                “Send them.”

                “A surplus harvest of onions has driven down the price at market; merchants are asking that you set a cap on how far it can plummet so that they’re still able to turn a profit.”

                “Tell them I’ll consider an appropriate number.”

                “I’d like to ask your leave to order a 30 meter solid gold statue erected in the image of my recently departed canary.”

                “Sounds reasonable.”

                “I _knew_ you weren’t listening, Eren!”

                The young Pharaoh jumped, then cringed beneath his Vizier’s firm blue gaze. Armin had played a large role in raising and teaching him after the deaths of his parents when it became clear that he would inherit the throne. As such the brunet was all too aware that the older man had his number and didn’t even attempt at passing off a lie.

                “I know you know that seeing to the needs of your kingdom and your people is of tantamount importance. I know that you care for them and fear for their suffering, so I’m assured that you’re not merely neglecting your duties out of boredom or some other trivial reason. What has you so distracted?”

                Distracted? Now that he thought about it Eren knew he had been for the entirety of the day. Reflecting on it made him feel more than slightly guilty. The Pharaoh sighed and slouched in his throne, nearly sliding off of it and onto the floor.

                “He hasn’t left his room in two days.” Admitting the source of his concern only lessened the pressure in his chest to the barest degree. “Great Uncle requested we survey my tomb to ensure it was to standard-that was why we were gone for most of the day-and when we returned to Thebes we discovered the water supply had been tainted. He purified it, made it drinkable again, and when the people thanked him he suddenly just…bolted. I haven’t seen him since.”

                “I am sure that the Lord Setekh is fine, merely taxed from travel and needing to recuperate from use of his waning power. You don’t need to worry as, when he’s ready, he’ll come out.” Armin assured him calmly. “Leave him be.”

                “… …” Eren sighed again, fiddling with the lion’s tail around his waist. “If we’re finished here, I’d like to retire to the dining hall. It’s passed sundown and I haven’t eaten since mid-day.”

                Armin sighed as well, sounding equally as tired though obviously for different reasons. “Yes, we’re finished here. Those were the last of the requests for the day.”

                “Thank goodness.” He rose from the throne and stretched his stiffened muscles. Straightening the leopard skin draped across his shoulders.

                “Eren.” The Pharaoh looked back over his shoulder at the blonde. “Really. It’s better that you leave him be. Setekh is a loner and I don’t doubt he won’t appreciate your intrusion.”

                “I wasn’t planning on intruding. I’m just going to eat the evening meal and retire to my room. If there’s a need of me…”

                The vizier nodded. “We’ll come find you.”

                Eren left the throne room and headed down to the dining hall. Sat down at the long table alone and ate in silence. Not even the Palace cats came to keep him company. The food seemed to have no flavor and felt like sand in his mouth. He wound up forsaking his meal before even coming close to eating his fill, leaving the dining hall and heading to his room. Flopping down onto his bed and lying atop the sheets for at least an hour, but sleep refused to come.

                _I know that I told Armin that I wouldn’t bother him but if I keep that promise I’m assured to lose sleep. And that will lead to me slipping even more on my duties to my people._ The linens rustled as he shifted; tossing and turning but unable to get comfortable. _I’ll just…check on him quickly. And if he tells me to leave I’ll leave. There’s no harm in that. No harm at all._

                Proud of the plan which he had settled on Eren pushed himself up off of his bed and swept back out of the room. The raven’s bedroom was on the other side of the Palace, but by making use of a few of the servant’s halls and secret passages he’d discovered as a child Eren managed to make the journey in record time. He reached out without pause to knock on the door, hearing the echoes fade into nothing.

                No response came.

                “Great Uncle.” He called almost hesitantly, straining his ears for any sign of habitation in the room beyond. “Great Uncle, are you there?”

                Silence.

                Plucking up a bit of his courage the brunet tried the knob. The door swung open with a long, low creak to reveal the room beyond. Moonlight flooded in through the window, soaking the stripped bed in a sea of silver. The linens were coiled beneath the desk like a ball of serpents. A glint of metal drew his eyes to the amulet lying on the floor.

                There was no sign of the other man.

                Eren drew forward slowly, proceeding the rest of the way into the room and bending down to pick up the amulet. Examining it appreciatively for a moment, he set it on top of the desk before retrieving the linens and returning them to their proper place.

                _If not here where could he be?_ He wondered, exiting the room again and closing the door behind him. _I didn’t see him in the dining hall which I just came from before going to my room._ Eren set to wandering through the palace halls. _It’s unlikely that he’d just be wandering around at random; Armin was right about one thing in that he appears to prefer being alone. There’s too much of a chance he’d run into someone and have to talk to them. He could be in one of the gardens…_ A small smile curled on his face as an idea came to him. _The bath house._

                Turning on his heel and ducking through another passage he emerged on the other side just down the hall from the entryway of the bath house. Pushing open the door and stepping inside, closing it softly behind him again, Eren looked out over the large room. Set into the floor in the middle of the room was a massive stone bath, filled with clear water and fed by a small waterfall which filled the air with a soft trickling splash.

                His first hint that he had guessed correctly was the coiled belt and carefully folded fabric sitting on the edge of the bath alongside the small clay pot of shampoo. A little ways beyond the center of the bath the raven stood with his back to him, so absorbed in the act of cleaning the sweat from his body that he failed to notice his presence.

                The opportunity was far too good to pass up, no matter what manner of hot water it would end up landing him in. Swiftly stripping off his clothing and laying in the stone-tiled floor, Eren slipped silently into the cold water and crept forwards. Prowling carefully towards the other’s exposed back before pouncing and grabbed his shoulder with an enormous splash.

                “ _Fuck!_ ” He jumped, slipped and plunged beneath the surface of the water. Resurfacing in record time, he sent a retaliatory splash his way. Eren could have easily avoided but allowed it to hit him, not wanting to put himself at risk of other more violent forms of retribution. “What the hell was that, brat? Are you trying to kill me?”

                Eren was too busy laughing at him to reply.

                “Annoying bastard.” He turned away, going back to scrubbing his skin. “Was my locking myself in my room not enough of a hint that I wanted to be left well enough alone?”

                “I was worried.” The brunet admitted, managing to get around in front of him despite Levi’s best efforts to keep his back to him. Somehow, in the space of only a few seconds, Eren had managed to get all the way across the bath and back again and now held the clay pot of shampoo in his hands.

                Against his conscious will his gaze flicked downwards, face flushing at the sight which was only partially obscured and distorted by the water filling the bath. He only recovered when the other half-guided half-forced his head underneath the water fall.

                “ _What the hell!”_

“Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you.” Pouring some of the shampoo out into his palm Eren began to gently work it through the now wet strands of his raven hair.

                “Did I give you permission to touch me?”

                “No, but I didn’t think that I needed to ask.”

                “Being the fucking Pharaoh does not give you a free pass to make unwanted advances!”

                “It does when the ‘unwanted advance’ is meant to be an apology.” Pulling the most endearing smile that he could Eren finished with an innocent “I’m only washing your hair. It’s supposed to be a nice gesture that you sit back and enjoy.”

                “I’m not one for all of the touchy feely shit.”

                “I’ve noticed.”

                Levi was of half a mind to smack him but couldn’t deny that the sensation of those warm nimble fingers massaging his scalp was almost intoxicating. Relaxing despite himself into the other’s gentle touches he tilted his head back to observe Eren as he worked.

                His swan-dive into the water had cleaned the makeup from his face, unveiling the caramel tones of his skin and the slight imperfections of his features. Highlighting the chip on his left canine, the slight uneven kilter of the fullness of his lips and the minor crooked chink which hinted at the fact that his nose had once been broken.

            _Without all of that shit on his face he looks so much more human._

              Human. Like they both were. Mortal. Men, and nothing more. Though were Eren truly believed that he was a God in mortal form Levi knew that he himself was nothing but a liar.

              Stricken by the thought the smaller man made to pull away, hissing softly when the young man’s grip on his hair tightened to keep him where he was. Once assured he’d remain still for at least a short time longer he resumed his scrubbing at a higher speed.

            “I know that you must miss it, the Realm of the Gods, but they’ll be fine without you at least for a little while. Right now, they don’t need you as much as I do.” When Levi looked up again he saw with a start that there was a naked desperation in his eyes. “It’s a nice change to have someone here who sees me as their equal, as just another person, instead of-.”

           Biting down with harsh suddenness on his words and releasing his hold on him, Eren fled to the far end of the bath and turned his back on him. With the distance between them he couldn’t be sure, but Levi thought that the other man might have been trembling. Confusion warring with concern, Levi turned his back on the other man as well and set to using the waterfall to clean the fragrant suds from his hair.

          When his black hair was completely clear of the white foam and he was left marooned in a small sea of bubbles Levi emerged from the bath, dried himself and redressed. Winding the Shendyt into its intricate coils and then securing it into place with his belt. Eren was still hunched over the far edge of the bath, wet hair dripping down into his face and white knuckled hands gripping the stones. Not even attempting to put up an act of washing himself.

 _I can’t keep lying to him. He’s already messed up as it is without adding to it._ Taking a deep breath and releasing it through his nose, Levi steeled himself and crossed the room. The brunet made no reaction when he came to stand in front of him, though Levi knew that he had seen his feet.

           “Eren.”

            When the younger man looked up his green eyes were glassy. Levi extended his hand to pull him from the cold water. “Get dressed and walk with me. We need to talk.”


	8. Lain Bare

By that time of night the Palace had fallen silent and so the pair had a reasonable expectation of being able to proceed unmolested to whatever destination the raven currently had in mind. He was silent as he walked, and though it was dark the young Pharaoh trailing behind could easily discern the slight slump in his wide shoulders beneath the golden rings of the collar he wore. Their bare feet passed over the stone tiles with only faint whispers to announce their progress. The occasional wind blowing through the windows to animate the curtains, the only motion but for their own.

                _Where are we going?_ Not to his bedroom, or to that of the shorter man before him. Both rooms lay in the opposite direction from where they were walking. The throne room perhaps? Or the dining hall? He didn’t know if he had eaten yet.

                Eren was so wrapped up in trying to determine where they were going that he failed to notice where they were until the walls and ceiling of the Palace fell away and he found himself standing in the Pleasure Garden. The other man was still in front of him, staring down into the water of the pond at the sluggish motions of the sleeping fish. They stood separated by perhaps twenty feet, surrounding on all sides by lush greenery and the sweet smell of flowers and fruit.

                He stared expectantly at his companion, waiting for him to open his mouth and speak, but when no words came for a solid five minutes the brunet hesitantly found his voice. “Um…Great Uncle. You said that you wished to speak with me?”

                No reaction.

                Eren stood there, still staring, still waiting for a response for another long moment before he tried.

                “Lord Setekh-.”

                “ _Don’t call me that!”_

                Eren jumped and took a step back, startled by the force and volume of his shout. But the little raven wasn’t prepared to stop there; it seemed that that statement had at last broken the dam and now the flood was rushing out.

                “My name is Levi! Levi Ackerman! I am not Setekh! I’m not a God at all! I’m just a man from close to 7000 years in the future who somehow, all because of that damned tomb and that fucking silver scarab, wound up stuck here in your time! What I was wearing when they found me on the bank of the Nile were modern clothes, not magic armor! I’m not cursed! I haven’t fought any monsters! And what I did with the charcoal was science, not a miracle!”

                His voice cracked at the end, unable to withstand the stress of his screaming. Levi fell silent, shoulders arched upwards protectively head fallen forward and fists clenched and shaking at his sides. Unfreezing after reaching a reasonable level of certainty that the shorter man wouldn’t resume yelling, Eren moved from where he stood and crossed the garden towards him.

                Levi flinched when he came to stand at his side but didn’t look at him or give any ground. Despite the warmth of the night, he was trembling violently.

                Eren sighed, reaching up to massage the back of his stiff neck. “I was wondering how long it would take you to admit it.”

                The shorter man turned sharply to face him, silver eyes wide and face slack with surprise. “You _knew_?”

                “I could guess that you weren’t my Uncle. He is, after all, known to have red hair and you…well…don’t.” He gestured weakly towards his sable hair. “You are not Setekh. But I don’t know if I agree with you when you say that you’re not a God.”

                “Brat-!”

                “Look down.” Eren cut him off and gestured to the pond at their feet. Realizing that he wasn’t exactly in any position to protest Levi did as he was told and looked into the water. “Tell me what you see.”

                Night had stained the water black, transforming it into a natural mirror. His reflection stared back at him from amidst the water flowers and vividly orange fish. “I see a man.”

                “That’s all?” he asked.

                “That’s all there is.”

                Eren shook his head and crouched down, reaching up to gently tug on his hand. “Look closer.”

                Levi sighed but allowed himself to be pulled down beside him and leaned closer over the edge of the pond. The image before him, though slightly larger, didn’t change. “I still just see me. And I’m just a man.”

                “Just a man.” Reaching down, the brunet picked up a handful of small stones. “Would you like to know what I see in that water?”

                He dropped one of the pebbles into the pond, disturbing the image with rings of ripples spreading rapidly outwards towards the center.

                “I see a man who has already had a deep impact on many lives. And who has the potential to have an even deeper impact on many more.”

                More pebbles were dropped into the pond. One after the other after the other until the entirety of the formerly calm surface was shuddering.

                “You wield the vast knowledge from the era you originally came from, the greatest weapon in the world, and have the astounding ability to give my people hope. Something to cling to in their darkest hours. Something to believe in.” Eren brushed the dust from the palms of his hands. “Isn’t that what it means to be a God?”

                Levi huffed and looked away.

                “For the sake of my people I will ask of you this favor: keep up the charade.” He said. “I know that it’s stressful to have to pretend to be someone that you’re not, but I have a way for you to get at least partially around that. You can still be called by your real name while remaining as a symbol for a brighter future.”

                “And how would that be?”

                “Simple. You’ve decided to take a mortal name while trapped beneath Apep’s curse and wish to be called by it.” He told him. “In that way we come to a compromise. An agreement which works for everyone.”

                “You’re not going to punish me?”

                “Punish you for what?” Eren reached down and pulled him to his feet. The raven searched the Pharaoh’s face for any trace of dishonesty but found none. “You said that you’re from the future?”

                The turn of the conversation came as a bit of surprise, but not an entirely unexpected one.

                “I am.” He replied cautiously, trailing Eren as he began to make his way down a garden path.

                “What year?”

                “2016.”

                Eren blinked. “But if it’s almost 7,000 years from now how is it only 2016?”

                “Someone somewhere along the line for some retarded reason even they probably didn’t understand decided to reset the calendar. Don’t ask me why.”

                “And what country are you from?”

                “America.”

                “America?”

                Levi nodded. “The United States of America.”

                “And where is that?”

                “North America.”

                “There’s two Americas?”

                “No. There’s three: North, South and the United States.”

                “…That’s confusing. The world you come from is so strange.”

                “ _My_ world is strange? How do you think I feel stuck here?”

                Eren shrugged. “You don’t seem very lost here. In fact that you’re astoundingly knowledgeable in our beliefs: is America what they call Upper Egypt in your time?”

                “No, Egypt is still Egypt. All three Americas are on the opposite side of the world.”

                “And how big is the world?”

                The Pharaoh’s question reminded him so much of a young child that he couldn’t help but smile, grateful for the swaying shadows of the grape vines which hid it from view. “Very.”

                He heard the other’s small awed gasp.

                “And its round.”

                “ _What?_ ” What was to Levi a simple fact of life was a mind blowing revelation for the brunet. “Round? Like…like a wheel?”

                “Close enough, yeah.”

                “And it was the scarab amulet in your room that sent you back in time?”

                Levi sent him a side-long glare meant to say ‘what the hell were you doing in my room?’ before answering “yeah.”

                “And you found it in the tomb?”

                “Yes.”

                “My tomb?”

                “…” he couldn’t exactly explain to him the whole truth while still not understanding it himself. “Yeah, in the burial chamber. It’s wings opened, there was a blinding flash and the next thing I knew I woke up in the temple.”

                The path came to an end in the middle of a close grown circle of night blooming jasmine. The dim light of the moon shinning down through the bows of the thick bushes turned the leaves black and lit the pale flowers with silver fire. Eren sat down in the middle of the little circle and, hesitating briefly on account of the sandy ground, Levi joined him.

                “Was I a good King, Levi?” he asked suddenly, green eyes wide and beseeching as they turned onto him. “Did I do well for my people, or am I doomed to failure?”

                Levi stared at him for a few moments before answering. “I’m sorry Eren, but I couldn’t answer even one of those questions for you. When the scarab sent me here we had only just opened your tomb; all we knew about you was your moniker. The Cobra King.”

                Eren’s eyebrows knit together, his face falling. Levi felt genuinely sorry for him.

                “I’m sorry.” He repeated.

                “It isn’t your fault.” Eren pulled his knees up to his chest and, as if grasping at straws for something to distract himself with, he asked “what is the world that you come from like? How is it different?”

                Levi reclined back against his hands and tilted his head back to look at the moon and stars above them. “That’s a lot to have to tell, brat. We’d be sitting out here for at least a couple years.”

                He caught the small smile out of the corner of his eye. “Well, maybe just tell me about the finer points.”

                The raven sighed. “I worked at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History-a museum is a place where relics of the past are collected and studied so that they can be better understood-as a Curator, Anthropologist, and specialist of Ancient Egyptian Weaponry and Mythology. In order to be able to work there I had to get a degree-which is a sheet of paper, modern papyrus, that shows I have the necessary qualifications-from a college-which is a place that people go to for higher learning.”

                Eren nodded in silent encouragement for him to continue.

                “Instead of walking everywhere or using chariots we ride in cars-metal horses-planes-metal birds-and boats which can reach and exceed the speed of a Cheetah.”

                “You can fly?”

                “Not unaided, but yeah. We can.” Levi told him. “And instead of bows, Scimitars and Khopesh we have guns-metal tubes that shoot thunder and fire-bio weapons-man made plagues-and nuclear war heads-explosives capable of taking out nearly an entire country.”

                His eyes were wide with shock and awe at the things he’d heard described. “Your people have weapons like _that_ and you disagree with me when I call you a God?”

                “Death and Warfare makes for a pretty shit God, brat.” He said. “You’re really not going to retaliate against me for lying? You’re not upset?”

                “Not even the slightest bit.” Eren purred, smiling and edging a little closer. “I’m actually relieved that you aren’t my Uncle.”

                “And why would that be?”

                “Because if you actually _were_ Setekh I’d have a lot harder of a time getting away with this.”

                “Getting away with wha-?”

                 Eren’s hot mouth crashing into his silenced his words, cutting his sentence off into a grunt of surprise. Knocked off balance by the suddenness of the attack the raven clung to the other in an effort to keep himself from falling over. Taking his clutching fingers as encouragement he deepened the kiss further. Tongue slipping in between his lips and coiling lewdly around his own. Massaging the sensitive flesh with expert skill. Drawing a low throaty moan from the still bewildered raven. He tasted like salt and wine.

                His long warm fingers knotted in his black hair, tilting his head back into a better position as he broke away. A strand of silver saliva left connected between them. Levi barely had the chance to gasp for air before the Pharaoh returned to plundering his mouth. Pushing closer and forcing the other onto his back.  The cold sand cradled his body, cool and soft against his suddenly flushed and heated skin. His fingers found purchase in Eren’s wild hair, half of him wanting to pull him away so he could breathe and the other wanting to pull him closer and choke.

                He tugged.

                Eren drew back again, just as out of breath as he was. After taking a moment to breathe the attack resumed with renewed fervor, his mouth attaching itself to the side of his neck this time. Licking and sucking with just shy of enough pressure to leave a bruise. Laving at his pulse point. Nibbling gently on his Adam’s-apple. Drawing yet another moan. Hands left his hair to rove across his pale chest. Thumbing his nipples as he applied gentle pressure with the inside of his knee to the growing bulge between his legs.

                Levi grabbed him by the wrists. “Stop, Eren.”

                Despite being wantonly breathless the tone of his voice was enough to make the Pharaoh pull back and look at him.

                “I don’t have any male concubines here for one reason: the chance that I would fall for one of them was too high. You don’t need to worry that I’m trying to take advantage of you Levi, I promise that all I want from you is your heart.” He tried to go back to suckling on his neck but the raven pushed him off into the sand. “What’s wrong?”

                “I can’t.”

                “Why not? I thought you were enjoying it. You certainly seemed to want it.”

                He had wanted it. Still did, as clearly evidenced by the still very present tent in the fabric around his waist. And that was exactly what scared him. Bringing to the forefront the image of the final mural in the tomb which refused to leave his mind.

                “Please, just tell me.”

                _Because I don’t want to die._ Eren’s bright eyes bore into him. “I just…can’t. I’m sorry.”

                He left him sitting amidst the blooming flowers and fled back to his room. Locking the door and sliding down it onto the floor. Slumping against the heavy wood and cool tiles and remaining motionless until the painful pressure became too much to ignore.

                Fumbling with the edges of the fabric until his belt came free, he yanked the crimson linen away.

                His erection sprung upright into the cool night air, its ruddy length darkening in color the closer it came to its blunt head. Wrapping one hand around his throbbing member Levi squeezed his eyes shut, struggling to distance himself from thoughts of what he was doing.

                _Filthy. Disgusting._

                Thankfully, with how long it had been since he’d last had sex, it didn’t take long for him to stroke himself to completion. Biting down on his lower lip to silence his cries and tasting blood. He was left staring in disgust at his white-streaked hand, waiting for his bones to re-solidify in the wake of his self-induced orgasm.

Once competently able to stand Levi rushed to grab the pitcher of water sitting on the desk and stuck both it and his hand out of his bedroom window. Pouring it out over his soiled hand in an effort to wash his release from his skin before drying off with one of the excessive number of linens piled atop his bed.

                After tossing the linen he’d used into the far corner to be seen to later he curled up atop the mattress and did his best to force himself to sleep. He’d have to be much more cautious in the future about avoiding Eren whenever possible.


	9. To Have and To Hold

_I can’t.’ He can’t what? I don’t understand._

                Eren leaned against the window in his room, propping his chest against his arms crossed atop the sill.

                _Did I go too far? I didn’t force him into anything and I know that he enjoyed it. That he wanted it. He didn’t push me away: if he had I would have stopped immediately. …So maybe I went too fast?_

                He slouched down further, massaging his temple with one hand as he tilted his head into the slight breeze which was blowing outside.

_What did I do wrong?_

                It wasn’t even quite midmorning yet the day was already oppressively hot. The young Pharaoh huffed and pressed his cheek into the cool stone, watching as the Captain of the Palace Guard-recognizable even from this distance by his two toned hair-made his rounds around the barracks.

 _I messed up badly and I need to fix it._ He decided. _He trusted me with admitting who he really was and…though it wasn’t my intention to do so I suppose that I took advantage of that fact…. What he said last night is true: being the Pharaoh doesn’t give me a free pass at unwanted advances._

                Raising his head, he rested his chin atop his hand.

_And though I wouldn’t go so far as to call what I did entirely unwanted I will admit to diving in when I should have taken the time to test the waters first. I by no means intend to give up-I suppose that I am a bit of a spoiled brat in that regard-but I will take a step back and slow down._

                A bird cried loudly from somewhere in the garden below.

_… …_

                Eren swatted at a fly which buzzed annoyingly close to his ear.

                _Lady Hathor, help me. I’m going to need a miracle._

Just at that moment a knock came on his bedroom door. “Lord Eren, are you there?”

                Not a miracle. But perhaps Mikasa could be just as helpful.

                “I am, Mikasa.” He called. “Come in.”

                The doors creaked as they swung open, allowing the woman on the other side to step into the room. As always, her white Kalasiris was perfectly spotless and devoid of wrinkles her copper jewelry carefully polished and her long raven hair accented by a pair of thin braids which hung to either side of her face. Where Armin had stood in for him as a Father figure since the deaths of his parents it was Mikasa who had taken on the role of Mother. At times she still acted as if he were a young child, and though more often than not it proved to be annoying he couldn’t help but smile at her now.

                “Armin said that you were distracted last night and that you didn’t come to breakfast this morning.” She said, her grey eyes-a slightly more muted shade than Levi’s-fixated on him in concern. “Are you alright?”

                “I’m not sick, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m just a little bit busy with a…personal matter.” He pushed himself up onto his feet. “I’m gotten myself into a bit of an emotional pickle, but maybe you can help me. I need a bit of advice.”

                “I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Eren. What’s wrong?”

                “It’s a bit of a long story and I’m going to have to ask you not to repeat any of what I am about to tell you.”

                Mikasa nodded at him. “You have my word that I will not speak a word of anything which you say here.”

                “I knew from the moment that I first saw him that Farlan had taken a premature leap to the conclusion which he wanted to believe and because he was afraid he’d be attacked in retaliation for our misconception he lied in order to protect himself.” He told her. “He’s not my Uncle.”

                Her eyes widened in shock but she didn’t speak, waiting for him to proceed.

                “His name is Levi and he’s not a God-not in the typical sense of the word at least-but rather is a man from 7000 years in the future.” Eren said. “He is something called a museum curator and worked at a place called a museum where they studied relics of the past. His specialty was our people and our time, especially our religion, which is why he knows so much.”

                “But if he’s from the future how did he get here?”

                “They were studying our pyramids and he found a scarab amulet in my tomb. It sent him back here and now he’s stuck.”

                “And you’re not mad at him for his deception?”

                “Not at all, because it wasn’t his fault. It would be entirely different if he’d walked into the Temple at Ombos and declared himself to be one of our Gods in falsehood, but he didn’t. He was labeled against his will and without his knowing or say in matters. Not to mention that he has shown a considerable degree of regret.”

                “I still don’t see how this lands you in any sort of ‘emotional pickle’.”

                “Because I’ve been attracted to him since the moment I first saw him and last night, after he admitted the truth, I kissed him. But he pushed me away: I know that he wasn’t unwilling, but I frightened him away and I need to make things right. But I don’t know how.”

                Mikasa continued to stare at him for a while before she spoke. “You’re asking me for advice on how to go about courting him?”

                “I am.” Eren said. “I’m a Pharaoh. I have concubines. If I were really of a mind to I could go out into the city streets and have any man I wished to but I don’t just want sex. I want a real relationship with someone who loves me.”

                “What about a woman?”

                Eren looked at her with the eyes of a kicked puppy. “I know that it’s my duty to produce an heir to continue my line but I could never be happy with a woman.”

                The ravenette sighed, crossing the room to sit down on the bed beside him just as she had when he’d been younger.

                “I’m sure that you’ve realized on your own that you need to move slower?”

                He nodded.

                “Before proceeding any further you should start by making it known you’re repentant.”

                “And how do I do that?”

                Mikasa appeared to take a moment to determine whether or not he was joking. “By apologizing.”

                “…Right…” Eren quickly bowed his head in an effort to hide his embarrassment. “And what do I do after that?”

                “Prove that you want his affections and that your actions aren’t just driven by lust.”

                “And how do I do that?”

                Asking a woman for help had definitely been a wise choice; left to his own devices the young Pharaoh felt sure he’d never had managed to work through all of this.

                “By getting changed into something less noticeable. You and I are going down to the market so that you can purchase tokens of your affection to give to Levi.”

                “Oh, you mean gifts? To give to him?”

                “Exactly. But don’t do it all at once; give them to him over time. And focus on building his trust back. Allow him to make the first move.”

                “So…I need patience?”

                “That’s the basics, but yes.”

                “Thank you for helping me, Mikasa.  I don’t know what I would have done about this without you.” He said, jumping up. “I’ll change now so that we can run down to the market right away.”

                Mikasa stood up as well and bowed. “I’ll leave you some privacy.”

                Eren wasted no time in changing into a more conservative white shendyt and, after stopping to grab a coin purse, rushed out to meet her.

                “What types of things should I buy for him, Mikasa?” he asked, clutching the purse close to his chest. “What are typical courting gifts?”

                “There’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ courting gift.” She told him. “You just have to look for something which catches your eye as a worthwhile offering. Anything you think that he might like, or would reflect his value to you.”

                _His value to me?_ Eren focused his attention on the market stalls surrounding them. Racking his brain for any ideas of a thoughtful gift whilst searching for the most expensive items on offer. Roving over stands of fruits and produce, pottery and heady scented flowers finally landing on a small stand of pottery and jewelry.

                “There.” Eren indicated the stand and the pair walked over. He scanned the selection on offer, skipping over the myriad of brightly colored clay and faience beads as well as the typical array of copper and gold. Perusing instead the small display of silver on offer. Selecting bangles, cuffs and earrings before calling for the merchant’s attention.

                “You like silver, young Lord?” the man asked. When Eren nodded at him he smiled, revealing crooked blackened teeth, and picked up a small box. “Then you may be interested in this. I was going to contact the nobles of the nearest Nomes, but I know that-should it take your fancy-you’re more than capable of affording it.” He opened the box and unveiled what was inside.

                Eren felt his eyes go wide.

                Sitting inside of the box was a silver collar inset with seven blood red stones; a large one in the center and three smaller ones branching off to either side.

                “Pure silver. Fine quality. And the stores that you see are rubies, brought in by hard trade with a country to the East.” The merchant said smirk growing wider knowing the Pharaoh before him was fully entranced. “A unique piece: not another like it in all of Egypt.”

                “How much?”

                “It was difficult to come by and even more difficult to acquire.”

                “15 gold pieces. 30 total for the other items which I selected.”

                The merchant considered. “That’s the best that you can do?”

                “45. That’s my limit. And, I promise you, you won’t get a higher price from any of the Nobles.”

                “A pleasure to do business with you, Son of Ra.” In exchange for the glittering coins he handed the items over; for the sake of convenience Eren tucked everything away into the necklace’s box. “Enjoy.”

                “Thank you.”

                They resumed walking through the market bazaar.

                “I don’t think I could get anything more valuable than this. Not to mention that the aesthetic of it, which is something which I’m sure he will appreciate.” Eren said, speaking half to himself. “The moon’s colors will blend much better with his skin than those of the sun do.”

                “Just be careful not to let the visual result tempt you too much.” Mikasa warned as he made a beeline for a textile stand. “Don’t forget the importance which patience had in the exercise.”

                “I haven’t.” He selected fine linens in many bright colors and purchased them quickly. “And at this point nothing more than having him constantly parading around naked and aroused would tempt me more than he already does.”

                “Just be cautious. One false move can set you all the way back to the beginning.” Mikasa gently took the stack of linens and the box from him in order to free up his arms. “Keep that in mind.”

                “I know. I will. I have too much of an emotional investment in the potential outcome to risk thwarting my own efforts.” Eren told her. “Where was that fragrance stand again?”

                “Just up ahead now. To the left.”

                As she spoke the stand came into view. The air around it was thick with a potpourri of sharp rich floral scents that was near enough to make his head spin and his eyes water. The shop keeper, a woman who didn’t recognize who he was, greeted them kindly. The young Pharaoh made his way from pot to pot, pulling off the lids to smell the oil inside and selecting the two he favored most.

                “I have an unusual product for offer today.” She informed him when he approached to pay. “Relatively cheap, I care more about getting rid of them than turning any sort of profit, but I only have a few left. Interested?”

                He blinked up at her cautiously. “What is this ‘unusual product’?”

                The shop keeper motioned for the pair to follow and headed into the small building located just behind her stall. Inside of the room were five Tesem, a mother and four pups. From the look and size of the puppies they were already at least three months old. The mother and three of the pups were the same reddish-brown color but Eren’s eyes were attracted immediately to the fourth pup.

                Obviously the runt of the litter and completely black in color the little dog watched his siblings eat dejectedly, likely having been chased off from the food. When he crouched down beside him the puppy raised his head and licked his hand. The Pharaoh smiled and picked him up.

                “I’ll give you three gold pieces for this one.”

                “You want the runt?” the woman sounded shocked. “Why? He’s of no use; can’t hunt or guard your home.”

                “Just because he’s small doesn’t mean he’s weak or worthless.” Levi had definitely proven that to him. “So yes, I do want the runt. Is three gold pieces enough? Five all together for the oils as well.”

                “I don’t care how much you pay me for him. I just want to get rid of them.” After accepting the coins she waved them both away.

                Mikasa and Eren made their way back to the castle, the puppy’s ears and nose twitching as he peered around curiously.

                “Mikasa.” Eren called for her attention once they’d finally returned to the Palace and gotten back inside. “Please take the puppy to Levi. Tell him that I thought he might wish for some company, so I got him a hound.”

                “As you wish.” Exchanging the pots of oil, box of jewelry and pile of linens for the squirming pup, the two parted ways Eren heading to change before resuming his post in the throne room and Mikasa hurrying through the halls back towards the raven’s bedroom.

                Her knock was rewarded with a very surly sounding “go away, brat. I’m not interested in your company.”

                “…I’m not the Pharaoh, Sir.”

                A moment further silence before footsteps could be heard approaching from the interior of the room. When the door swung open to reveal the male on the other side the puppy became so excited that she almost dropped the little creature. Adjusting her grip on the animal, she held it out to him.

                “What is this?”

                “A gift. Eren realizes both that you’re lonely and that he has upset you, so he went out to market in search of something to remedy that fact.”

                “So he got me a dog?”

                “He tells me you’re not much of a people person.”

                The raven sighed reached out and took the wriggling ball of fur. “He tells you correctly. And you can tell him thanks…I guess.”

                After Mikasa had bowed out and he’d closed the door behind her Levi turned his gaze onto the animal. “You had better be house trained; the minute that you pee on my floor you’re in deep shit.”

                The puppy yipped at him and licked his face, tail going at a couple thousand miles an hour.

                “…You’re kind of cute.” Large tawny eyes observed his movements over the top of a wet black nose. “I guess.”

                Another yip.

                The raven sighed and crossed the room, depositing the puppy on top of his bed and flopping down beside the little animal. The puppy was quicker than any of the Palace felines to curl up in his lap and swiftly fell asleep as he scratched behind his ears.

                _I’ll give the brat points for this one._ He thought. _But now he’s allowed a dog to fill the role of my companion which was the only excuse he had to bother me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hathor – Cow headed Goddess of fertility and love.  
> Faience – Primitive glass glazed with color to imitate gemstones  
> Silver – Silver was rarely found in Ancient Egypt and most of it had to be imported. Because of this fact silver was widely regarded as being more valuable than gold.   
> Rubies – Historically rubies have been found and mined in many places including Afghanistan, which is the mentioned ‘Country to the East’.  
> Tesem – An extinct dog breed of Ancient Egypt. The modern Pharaoh Hound is falsely believed by many people to be a descendant of this breed.


	10. Apology or Insult?

The tiny black ball of fur was fucking fast! Rocketing away from him on four short stubby legs and vanishing into the surrounding verdant greenery to hide. Yapping when he felt that his semi-unwilling playmate had fallen far enough behind to risk losing sight of him, waiting until Levi had managed to relocate him, sending him a bright eyed glance which seemed to say “silly human” and then darting off once more.

                “Ankh!” He called out the name which he had chosen to give to his new pet, half amused and half exasperated by the little creature’s persistent games. The small dog poked his head out from underneath a nearby bush. “Oh, there you are you little furry brat.” Levi crouched down to the dog’s eye level and held out a hand. “Come here, boy. Game’s over. You need to cooperate with me now.”

                The Tesem whined.

                “Ankh!” His tone sharpened slightly, spurring the animal to emerge from the bush and slink over to him on his stomach, licking his hand apologetically. “Don’t act like I’m going to beat you. Not even a week you’ve been here and yet you’re already a masterful con.” Levi scratched the little dog’s large and almost bat-like ears for a couple moments before standing up again. “Come on, boy. We’re going to go for the walk which I had originally planned on before you made me play hide and go seek for three hours!”

                Ankh poked his nose into his master’s calf and made an apologetic whining sound, trotting calmly along beside him now as if he were one of the Palace Guard’s well trained hounds. Birds fluttered about overhead. Insects of all kinds keened and hummed in the undergrowth around him. By this point he was liberally smeared in rich dark earth and drenched in sweat but for what was probably the first time in his life Levi couldn’t care less.

                He was out there for the sole purpose of avoiding any possible contact with Eren, who had been all but camped out outside of his room for the past three days. Even if the Pharaoh were to come looking for him, which he knew was only a matter of time, he wouldn’t be able to find him as unlike his bedroom where he was cornered like a fish in a barrel out in the Palace gardens he had an excess of places to hide.

                He would just have to make sure that his new companion didn’t go tearing off at the sight of him and lead the young Pharaoh right to where he was hiding.

                Speaking of Ankh the dog was now beginning to yoyo back and forth from trotting beside him to running a few yards ahead. A sharp whistle corrected this behavior before it got too out of hand. At least until the thick greenery gave way to the pond.

                Barking excitedly Ankh bolted. Sprinting to the edge and throwing himself into the pond with a surprisingly large splash for his size. Mildly annoyed by this behavior but not entirely able to blame the puppy on account of the heat Levi sighed and, after a moment’s hesitation, lowered himself down into a seated position on the edge of the pond and slid his bare feet into the water.

                It was cold enough to send a shiver up his spine and make his toes curl. The fish immediately came over to investigate the pale intrusion of their domain, mouthing briefly at his flesh before losing interest and swimming off again. He was content to enjoy the juxtaposition of cold water and hot sunlight for closing in on another hour, but eventually the harshness of the undiluted solar glare verged on burning his skin. Pulling his feet free and feeling the chilled flesh press into the hot pavement, watching it darken beneath the small puddle of moisture which spread across it, he stood up.

                “Alright boy, come on. Time to get out of the water.”

                Ankh ignored him in favor of blundering clumsily after an unusually playful goldfish.

                “Ankh!” He whistled.

                This time the puppy paused to look at him before resuming such riveting activities as snapping at water and chewing on the lily pads atop which the lotus blooms peacefully floated.

                _Damn it!_ He thought. _I’ll just have to go and drag him out._

                Bravely, Levi stepped off the edge and into the pond. He expected the water to only reach up to his knees or, at most, his mid-thigh but to his total shock and dismay the dark coloring of the tile-lined bottom and clarity of the water had led to him misjudging the depth. His head went under and he inhaled a lungful of cold water.

                He came up coughing and spluttering and flailed around for a few moments before managing to clear the water from his eyes and haul himself back up onto dry land. Ankh was all too happy to follow him and assist in drying him off by squeegeeing his face with his little pink tongue. The raven didn’t know how he should feel about the matter: contented at the fact that he was now comfortably cool despite the heat of the middle of the day or absolutely disgusted at the fact that he was now covered head to toe in fish water and dog spit.

                “Enough. Enough, dog brat!” He had to practically pry the puppy off him to put an end to the impromptu bath. “I’m wet enough as it is.”

                Soaked through. Completely. And as nice as it might feel at the moment Levi knew it would swiftly turn hellish once his clothes began to dry. He couldn’t exactly go back in and change-even if Eren hadn’t taken to hunting him down like a starving animal he didn’t have any other clothing to speak of-and that left him with no choice but to take off his soaked Shendyt and let it dry. Luckily he’d wound up in a culture where nudity was regarded to a certain point as socially acceptable.

                But he _definitely_ couldn’t let the Pharaoh brat find him sitting around in the nude.

                Selecting a taller tree with smooth darkly colored bark Levi picked up the dripping dog and began to climb. Perching on a particularly wide branch and settling the puppy beside him he pulled the soaked strip of linen from around his waist and draped it over the branch to drip dry. He raised a hand to shield himself from the flying water as Aknh shook out his coat before resting his head on his bare thigh and settling in beside him.

                “Tired yourself out, have we?” the puppy made a contented huffing sound as Levi resumed petting him. His tawny eyes closed and he soon fell asleep. “Too damn cute to stay mad at, lucky little bastard.”

                There were a lot of things which had happened to him recently that Levi never would have dreamed of: traveling back in time, being mistaken for a Pagan God, having a Pharaoh attempt to eat his tonsils out and now the newest addition to that list, sitting bare ass naked in a tree with a dog fast asleep in his lap. Maybe Ankh had the right idea about taking a nap. Nothing else to do while waiting for the wind to do his laundry. Levi allowed himself to relax against the trunk and closed his eyes, drifting rapidly into an odd sort of half-sleep.

He awoke abruptly when he caught sight of the familiar head of messy brown hair making its way down the nearest garden path.

 _Fucking hell, I **knew** this would happen!_ The raven thought crossly, tanking his sweet lucky stars that he’d chosen a tree the branches of which didn’t hang directly over any of the path’s and hoping that the young Pharaoh  wouldn’t notice the dripping water or look up and catch sight of the hanging cloth. _Go back inside. Go! Back! Inside! Don’t stop! No! No, don’t-damn it brat!_

Of course Eren had to slow to a halt not five feet away from the base of the tree he sat in, barely obscured from that position by only the barest handful of leaves.

_Please walk away now. No one is out here with you. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain of leaves!_

After another minute or so of willing him away the brunet finally seemed satisfied that the gardens would not divulge the other man and continued onwards down the path.

Levi exhaled a sigh of relief and remained in the tree another few hours until darkness fell, by which point the fabric had become passably dry and the puppy who occupied the bows with him refused to remain tree-bound for even a single moment longer. Securing the Shendyt into place and propping the dog beneath one arm, Levi checked their surroundings a final time for any signs that Eren might come popping out of some random bush to ambush him before at last clambering down.

“Alright dog brat, we’re going to head back to our room _quietly_ understand?” Ankh wagged his tail at him in response. “Alright, I’m going to put you down now. Behave and stay close.”

The puppy kept close to his side as he made his way quickly back up the garden path and back into the Palace. He peered around every doorway and corner that he came to in order to ensure green eyes weren’t lurking somewhere in the shadows before rounding them or passing through. He saw no trace of the brunet and so by the time he reached the hallway leading to his room he’d allowed his guard to drop. And of course, by some cruel joke of fate, this led to him running face first into Eren’s wide chest.

Levi reeled backwards with a gasp of shock and probably would have fallen over had the Pharaoh not reached out and righted him. The youth’s grip was strong and warm and despite the raven’s knee jerk reaction of wanting to shake him off he didn’t get the chance to do so before Eren released him and stepped back.

“Hey,” he said quietly, actually looking hesitant. “I’ve been trying to get you out of your room for a while.”

Levi narrowed his eyes into a cutting glare. “I don’t need to supply you with any other, or even a more specific, explanation. I’m not interested.”

“I know. But that’s not why I’m here.” It was at precisely that moment that he noticed the pile of fabric in his arms. “I thought that you might appreciate more than one outfit, so…may I come in?”

“No.” Scooping up Ankh, he shouldered passed him and headed to the door of his room. After depositing the puppy inside he turned back to him. “You can hand over a pile of linen just fine from out there.”

The brunet sighed and passed the clothing to the other man but when Levi went to slam the door he stuck his foot in. Eren winced when the wood came to a jarring stop, pinching his flesh between it and the doorway.

“I also want to apologize and I can’t really do that affectively from out here.” The small box in his arms, formerly hidden beneath the multi-colored fabric he’d been carrying, rattled quietly as he shifted his position.

“No, Eren. You may not come in.” The raven’s attempt at a growl turned into a sigh. “Go down to the bath house and meet me there; I’m covered in fish water and mud and I need to clean off. Just be aware that the minute you touch me you’re losing a limb.”

Despite the all too serious threat the Pharaoh smiled widely at him. “Alright, I’ll be waiting. And I promise I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to.”

“Good. I don’t.”

Once he’d removed his foot from the door Levi shut it in his face.

“Damn annoying brat. I just can’t get rid of that stubborn bastard.” He muttered, worrying at his bottom lip as he crossed to the trunk and began putting the linens away. Selecting one at random without looking at the color Levi exited his bedroom again and padded down the Palace hallways towards the bathhouse.

Eren was already inside, perched on the edge with his feet dangling in the water and the little box sitting in his lap. He looked up at him at the sound of the door closing but didn’t move and averted his green eyes politely until Levi had removed the still damp fabric from around his waist and stepped into the water.

“May I look now?”

“No. I don’t want you staring at me either.”

“But I can’t apologize correctly if I can’t look at you for at least a few moments; it’s hardly sincere if I appear to be apologizing to the wall.” He protested.

Levi huffed out a sigh and sank into the water up to his neck. “Fine.”

The turquois orbs landed on him with an almost hesitant delicacy. Eren bowed his head slightly, hands beginning to clench and unclench in quick succession around the box in his hands. “About what happened…I’m really sorry. I got carried away and overstepped my bounds and you have every right to be upset with me the way that you are. But I was hoping that you could find it within yourself to forgive me.”

His head dipped further, wild brown bangs falling into his face to hide his large eyes.

“Of course I don’t expect you to do so without having me explain myself first. As I’m sure that you’ve gathered from what I said that night I am one whose taste is…different than what most would consider to be normal. I have no interest in women and only have female concubines because of my responsibility as Pharaoh to produce an heir. But what I’ve wanted for a long time is a relationship with someone I could love and who would love me in return…I guess that I’ve been somewhat starved for love for my entire life, being a second son…but that doesn’t change anything.”

Eren shifted uncomfortably and forced himself to raise his head, meeting the dead-pan gaze of the raven in front of him with repentance written all over his face.

“I don’t want to lose you Levi. I really don’t. And though I want to be able to hold you and lay with you, if you don’t want me I’ll back off. Because I’d rather not be able to have the relationship I want with you than not be able to have any relationship with you at all.”

 _Damn it._ Levi thought sinking down further until the water came up to his eyes. _I feel sorry for him now. This little bastard just made this a whole hell of a lot harder._

Eren was staring at him now, half coiled down into a protective crouch as he waited for the other man’s response.

Levi straightened up and sighed. “Are you apologizing to me or making a poorly disguised and really shitty effort to guilt trip me?”

“N-No! I swear!” He yelped, nearly toppling into the bath. “I’m not. I promise. Please just give me another chance.”

“…” he shook his head. “Don’t piss yourself, brat. I’m teasing you.” At least to a point. “What’s in the rattling box?”

Eren looked down at what he was holding as if he’d forgotten it was there. “O-Oh. It’s another part of your wardrobe change.” He said. “You don’t look good in gold.”

“Christ, brat!” The raven snorted. “Are you apologizing to me or are you insulting me?”

“I…I meant…that came out wrong.”

Levi smirked. “For the leader of a kingdom you seem to suffer from a surprising amount of social retardation.”

Eren stuck his tongue out at him.

“So you’ve gotten me jewelry as well as new clothes?” He asked.

“I did. I just…I saw it and…gold clashes too much with your coloring and makes your skin look sallow, but silver will work much better with your pallor and black hair. And it matches your eyes.” The last part mumbled under his breath, nearly inaudible.

“I’ll be out in a second. Turn around.”

To his relative surprise instead of simply looking away Eren took pains to follow his instruction to the letter, removing his feet from the water and turning his back on him completely. Levi couldn’t help himself and took a brief moment to stare at the defined muscles of his shoulders and back before dunking himself quickly under the cold water to clear away the thoughts and the building blush they caused. Clambering free of the water, he dried off swiftly and wound the emerald fabric around his waist before padding over to Eren.

“Well, are you going to show me this fabled silver jewelry brat?”

Eren was on his feet in the blink of an eye, beaming proudly as he held out the now open box to him. Silver earrings, bangles and rings to replace the gold ones which he’d been given were the first things he noticed, loosely rolling around in the box. Then he saw the collar.

Unlike the collar he currently wore-solid gold, plain and unadorned-the necklace which was clearly the main source of the young Pharaoh’s pride in his gift was gleaming silver and inset with seven massive crimson stones. Levi stared, dumbstruck. He knew how much silver was worth in Ancient Egypt and that in itself was impressive, never mind the fact that a piece like that would have been priceless in modern times. Next to impossible for even the mega rich to afford.

“…Do you…like it?”

“Don’t you think something like that is a bit expensive to be worn?”

“I think it’s a proper declaration to all who see you of your worth to me.”

_Sneaky bastard. This isn’t meant as an apology, it’s a courting gift!_

He couldn’t exactly march him back to the market to return it. Levi highly doubted such a thing as a ‘return policy’ had even been invented yet. And, he supposed, allowing Eren to do as he pleased in an effort to win his heart wouldn’t do any harm as long as he kept smart about the reality of what he was up to.

Eren had picked up the necklace and was holding it between his large calloused hands.

“May I put it on for you?”

“Fine.” Levi sighed. _Desperate little shit is just dying for any excuse to touch me._

Eren happily trotted around behind him, pulling the silver collar around his neck. The metal was cold and fluid as it slid along his chest and collar bones and rested heavily against his shoulders.

“You look beautiful, Levi.”

 _And there’s my cue to shut it down._ He pulled away from the brunet, stooping down to pick up the red linen and the box now sitting on the floor. “Goodnight, brat.”

He left the Pharaoh standing in the bath house alone.


	11. The Way to the Heart

The table creaked and groaned beneath the weight of the peaches, bread, fish and meat which had been piled high atop it. All of them foods which he had used as an excuse to avoid eating the lettuce he’d been provided with at every meal since his arrival at the Palace.

Until now. When said vegetable was suspiciously absent.

With the way that Eren was sneaking glances at him from the opposite end of the table Levi suspected this wasn’t simply because they had run out.

“Either stare at me or don’t, brat. Quit half-assing it.” He growled.

“But you told me not to last night.” Eren said, clearly unbothered by the fact that he’d practically been abandoned in the Palace bathhouse the night before.

“Well, now I’ve decided that I would rather you do it outright than have to deal with the creepy incognito stalker shit.” Levi told him.

“Alright.” The Pharaoh stopped glancing downwards, his eyes smoldering uninterrupted at him from the other end of the table.

 _Fucking hell, I just can’t catch a break with this brat._ He thought, diverting his attention to the section of meat on his plate.

“Do you like the food; I asked them to serve everything specifically. I’ve noticed that you prefer to eat these.”

Levi glanced up again, discovering that Eren was still staring at him. “The food is good. You did tell me that the best chefs and bakers in the kingdom were here at the Palace cooking for you.”

“I did.” He said. “And they are.”

Determining the conversation to be over he went back to eating. Of course, Eren wasn’t done.

“You told me that you were an Anthropo-whatsy-.”

“Anthropologist.”

“An Anthropologist and Weapons Specialist?”

“I did and I was. Why?”

“Ever driven a chariot?”

Levi winced, a frisson of phantom pain shooting up his left arm. “Once. It didn’t end well.”

The Pharaoh’s expression transformed into mild concern. “Really? What happened?”

“As a weapon’s specialist it was my job to run tests on the weaponry of this time to our best understanding of how it would have been used. After a long marathon of grant writing and jumping through flaming hoops I got the go ahead to test a chariot from my superior. So I built one.” The raven told him. “I wound up crashing it and broke my arm in three places; had to get screws put in it.”

“Screws?”

“Yes, screws. Little pieces of metal used to bolt things together. Welcome to modern healthcare.”

The brunet shuddered. “That sounds terrifying. To have to have your body rebuilt like some sort of war machine.”

“We’ve come up with **_good_** painkillers. Makes the poor injured bastards fall off their nut but they aren’t feeling any pain, believe me.” Finishing off the meat he picked up a peach. “But why are you asking?”

“Because I’d like to take you out riding in one: I’ll drive it and I know what I’m doing so you don’t have to worry about crashing.” Eren told him calmly. “You’ve told me a great deal about yourself and your world but I’ve not repaid you with any real knowledge of myself and mine. And while you obviously already know a great deal about our way of life, I’m sure that at least a few things were lost to the sands of time.”

“I don’t know about that, brat.”

“I promise that I’ll behave. I’d just like to know that you’re completely informed. That our relationship-platonic or otherwise-is open enough to allow us to trust each other. That you can fit in and find a home here.”

Levi sighed. “…Alright, on one stipulation.” Rather than speaking Eren sent him a questioning glance. “The minute I feel like you’ve overstepped your bounds we go right the fuck back home.”

“We’ve a deal. Let me know when you’ve finished eating and are ready to go.”

He set the mostly eaten peach down on the plate in front of him and stood up, brushing the all but non-existent crumbs from his white Shendyt. “No reason to wait when it’s just going to get hotter as it gets later.”

“Perfect, the chariot has already been prepared by the guard and is now waiting for us outside.” Eren smirked cheekily at him. “Don’t look so surprised. There were only two potential answers you could give-yes or no-and even if you had answered in the negative it’s not as if I would have had to personally deal with the cleanup.”

Right, royalty. If this kept up he’d start suffering from whiplash.

“Well then, lead the way brat.”

Eren couldn’t have been happier to do just that.

The Pharaoh’s chariot was a beautifully built vehicle, its long golden hitching post lashed to a pair of massive jet black horses adorned with golden headdresses of peacock feathers and with backs draped in fine linen dyed in rich hues of blue and green tasseled in gold. The chariot itself was also gold, its wheels leafed in the glittering metal and its body inset with patterns of turquois and lapis lazuli. The snarling Set Beast, symbol of Upper Egypt, sat atop the crest of the body in line with the hitching post cast in solid gold.

Eren stepped calmly up into the chariot before turning and reaching down to help him into it as well. Levi ignored his hand and clambered up on his own; the Pharaoh pursed his painted lips but said nothing.

“Take care to hold on.” Eren said as he picked up the riding crop which sat beside his feet. “As I’m sure that you noticed when you crashed, our chariots can pick up quite a bit of speed.

The horse whip in his hand cracked sharply, the metal wheels beneath them creaked and they began to move. Trundling down the rutted streets of Thebes and out into the desert, headed in a different direction then they had the only other time they’d ventured outside the city.

“The Yeager Dynasty has existed for four generations before my own.” Eren began to speak about twenty minutes after they’d first set out. His gaze fixed ahead of them and his voice low and somber. “My Great Grandfather. My Grandfather. My Father. All of the Pharaohs before me have been great Kings and strong leaders and under them Upper Egypt flourished as a power to be feared by all of the surrounding kingdoms. Needless to say it’s a lot to live up to.”

“I can imagine that it’s difficult.” Levi didn’t know what he would do if he had been born as royalty, set from the beginning of his life to have a kingdom dropped unceremoniously into his lap. “Not to knit pick but you said four generations before you, Eren. Great Grandfather, Grandfather and Father is only three.”

Eren looked down at him and flashed a forced smile. “Like I told you last night, I’m a second son.”

“And where’s your older brother?”

The Pharaoh refused to answer and their conversation petered out after that.

Towering palms came into view, rapidly racing towards them from just over the horizon. Pulling the chariot to a stop Eren leapt down from his perch and disappeared into the thick greenery. Frowning, Levi dismounted as well and hurried after him. Pushing his way through a natural wall formed from plants he nearly toppled into the large pool of dark water when the growth gave way to a narrow bank.

The oasis was verdant and beautiful, the arid desert wind clattering through the tall spikey palms and a cloud of small black insects swarming together over the center of the pond. He located Eren curled up into a half-ball in the shadow of a grouping of large rounded boulders staring out across the water with a fixated gaze which left the raven more than mildly concerned.

 _That look reminds me far too much of someone suffering from PTSD._ He approached him with mild caution and slowly lowered himself down onto the sand beside him. Resting his back against the cool immoveable stone and waiting for the Pharaoh beside him to begin to speak on his own.

                “I was born when my older brother was near the age of 16. Born into relative obscurity as the second son. Never the focus of my parent’s attention beyond what was absolutely necessary. All but raised by the servants of our household even back when they were still alive. Reviled as less than and worthless by my brother who had been groomed since birth to be the next Pharaoh. I never wanted to be Pharaoh. Was never supposed to be Pharaoh. Would be dead, just like my parents, if Jean and the guard hadn’t caught him when they did.”

                “Your parents were assassinated by your older brother?”

                He nodded and pulled his knees closer. “He got tired of waiting, so he butchered them. I was only 10 and I saw him do it. And he tried to kill me too, but he was caught.”

                “And executed.”

                “Exiled.”

                “So he’s still alive?” Levi couldn’t believe what he’d just heard, and though he felt stupid for doing so he couldn’t stop himself from raising his hand and looking around. “He could still be after you?”

                “It’s unlikely that he’s still alive, unless he managed to find his way to one of the other kingdoms. But they’re so far to walk and the desert is so harsh…it’s all but certain that he’s dead by now. So I’m not afraid of him anymore.”

                But the trauma clearly still remained.

                “I never wanted to be Pharaoh, Levi.” He repeated. “And now that I’ve been forced into the role all I want for my people is to do what’s best for them. My people, who give me my power. My people, to whom I have an obligation. My people, who don’t even believe that I’m capable of ruling.”

                “That isn’t true.” But even as he said it he could keenly remember Farlan’s bitter words.

                “Don’t lie to me.” The brunet whimpered. “They want me dead. Not enough to act to kill me themselves, not yet at least, but they can’t wait until I’m dead and gone. Until my body can be locked up in my tomb and someone better, more capable, can take my place on the throne. If I could have one wish come true the only thing in the world that I would ask for would be that I would have been born as anything but what I was. I’m trying so hard but I know it’s not enough, and my greatest fear is that I’ll be left forgotten in disgrace.”

                The dislike of even the mere mention of the idea of visiting his tomb. The immediate question of whether or not he’d been a good king when he’d learned the truth of the fact that he’d come from the far future. The disappointment he’d shown when it became obvious he wouldn’t get an answer. All of it suddenly clicked into clear focus.

                “Eren.”

                The Pharaoh remained hunched forwards, and didn’t respond.

                “Look at me, brat. I’m talking to you.” Levi had to reach out and lift his chin to make the other look at him. His makeup had begun to run with tears which he highly doubted Eren knew were falling. “You’re dooming yourself to failure by approaching your reign the way that you are. By trying to be like your Great Grandfather and your Grandfather and your Father you’re trapping yourself within their shadow. Lead by what you believe to be right rather than what you think they would have believed was right.”

                The brunet sniffed. “You make it sound like it’s such a simple matter.”

                “That’s because it is. Do what you think is right and fuck everyone else’s opinion because they’re not the fucking Pharaoh.”

                “But won’t that make me a bad leader?”

                “Oh boy,” Levi huffed, releasing his hold on Eren’s chin and sitting back again. “It’s a good thing that you were born in this time instead of mine, because were you ever to see a modern politician at work or the wake of destruction they leave behind your brain would break.”

                The younger male beside him squirmed.

                “Besides, you don’t need to feel so pressured.”

                The golden hoops in his ears glinted in the sun as he tilted his head. “Because all I’m doing is running a kingdom alone, right.”

                “When the hell are you going to be running the kingdom alone?”

                “Who’s helping me?”

                “Aside from your appointed cabinet of advisors, for whom helping you is kind of their job? Me, dipshit!” Eren did a double take. “Oh, don’t look so surprised. I went all the way through my higher education and probably know more about your culture than most of your subjects. I’m not just going to sit in my room with my thumb up my ass until I grow old and die.”

                The young Pharaoh cracked a small, semi-reluctant smile. “I suppose that doesn’t mesh well with your personality.”

                “No, it doesn’t.” He agreed, getting to his feet. “Come on, brat. It’s hot as shit out here so we may as well make use of the oasis before we boil in our own skins.”

                Eren got shakily to his feet and Levi took a firm hold on his wrist, leading him to the water’s edge. The brunet immediately began to strip, and after a moment’s hesitation, the raven began to follow suit. Removing his Shendyt, folding it up carefully and setting it on the sand. Taking off the rings, bracelets, earrings and finally the heavy silver collar and nesting them atop the white fabric before proceeding into the water.

                The oasis pool was deliciously cold, lapping around his ankles and then his knees and then his waist. Eren was already in up to his chest and staring at him again; at this point Levi didn’t care as long as the painful look on his face was made to disappear. Without putting too much thought into the action he swept one arm forwards dousing the youth with a wave of cold water. It broke over Eren’s head, soaking his already disheveled hair and washing off most of his makeup. He grinned, watching the brunet splutter in shock for a few moments, but that didn’t last very long before karma came around to splash him in the face.

                And with that the heavy topics before were forgotten, the pair splashing each other viciously and chasing each other through the shallows. They played like little children until the air began to cool, the deep blue of evening bleeding up from the horizon. What was left of Eren’s makeup was running down his face like water color paint in rivulets of violet and dusty pale. Levi was certain he didn’t look much better.

                “We look like clowns.” The brunet chuckled, peering down at his own reflection and smiling. “Do you think we should wash the rest of it off before we leave?”

                “Fuck it. Make a fashion statement.”

                “Fashion statement? My makeup is running, Levi!”

                “Well then, you’d better catch it. Don’t you think, brat?”

                Eren groaned and shoved his head back under the water, scrubbing the remainder of the color off his face. Snickering at his reaction, the raven did the same.

                “Well, are you feeling better brat?” he asked as they hiked back through the thick greenery to where they’d left the chariot. “I would imagine so, considering that you got all of that shit off of your chest.”

                “I feel a little lighter.” He agreed.

                “How many years did you have that building up?” Levi asked, propping himself up against the front of the chariot as it began to move again.

                “Most of my life. Definitely since I was put on the throne.” He said. “But I feel better now, thanks to you.”

                “Careful brat. Don’t give me too much credit or my head will blow up like a balloon.” He grunted, resituating the heavy collar on his chest and trying to conceal a mild blush.

                Eren smiled at the sight of it. “I’m definitely going to put your advice to use.”

                “Putting it to use is kind of the point of advice.”

                For the remainder of the trip back to the city they talked about pointless things. The sand gave way to rutted streets, the large wheels bouncing as they traveled swiftly over the uneven terrain. Rather than use the front gate Eren pulled the chariot around to another more hidden entrance located closer to the guard barracks. Here they were met by the Captain of the Guard and another guard, tall and freckled with kind eyes.

                “How went your travels Lord Eren? Levi?” Jean eyed their still damp state.

                “Well. We spent a most enjoyable day at the Oasis.” He replied, jumping down from the chariot with a spring in his step which Levi hadn’t seen in a while. “They’ll take care of the chariot.”

                Levi clambered down from the vehicle as well, looking towards the pair and nodding at them.

                “Thank you.” He trailed after Eren. “Where are you off to so quickly, brat?”

                “The throne room. I think I’ll put your words to use immediately.”

                “One last thing before you do.” Eren stopped and turned back to him. “You will eventually come across some issue or matter which regardless of what you chose to do or not to do will not be ‘good’ for your people or your kingdom. Be aware that you can’t always approach matters of command in terms of black and white.”

                He blinked at him. “And what do I do then?”

                “Evaluate your choices and make whichever you believe to be the one which you’ll regret the least.”

                “Easy?”

                Levi nodded. “In principle. Just keep that in mind.”

                “I will.” Eren said. “Thank you, Levi.”

                “Anytime, brat.” The raven said as he turned to continue down the hallway. “Anytime.”


	12. Inevitable

Moonlight spilled into the room through the stone window, diffusing the shadows with a soft silver glow. Levi had lain awake for hours before giving up on trying to find sleep all together and now sat up with his knees curled beneath him and the amulet in his hands. Slowly, he turned it over. Silver giving way to dark blue giving way to silver once again. The hidden mechanics within the scarab clicking softly as it was turned.

                He could remember with poignant clarity the image from the hallway of the tomb. The harsh unfiltered light of the halogen torch in his hand refracting off the depiction carved by ancient hands of the Pharaoh holding his limp form across his lap. The obsidian sarcophagus and the scarab sitting atop it.

                _I found it in my tomb._ He thought, running his fingertips over the carefully arched wings of the amulet. _It sent me back to his time. And I can only assume that when I die I will be buried with it. Which begs of the question,_ he lowered the amulet into his lap, _where did it come from in the first place?_

                Setting the amulet down on the bed beside the sleeping hound, Levi rose from the bed and padded across the cold tile floor of his room towards the window and looked out over the city at night. The moon was full and almost blindingly bright, shining down on the quiet world from the highest point in the sky. Flooding the streets with liquid silver and casting the Palace gardens in a clash of light and shadow. The mountainous sand-dunes rising in the distance were darker than black against the star spangled Egyptian night, the cool air scented by flowers and baked sand.

                _The only explanation which I can begin to come up with is far from rational though given circumstances I suppose that that’s forgivable. That explanation being that, somehow, a glitch of sorts formed in the fabric of reality which caused time to fold in on itself. Transfiguring its regular linear path into an ever repeating loop._

                Barely visible within the shifting darkness, a guard on patrol passed beneath his window.

                _If that’s the case, and the longer that this goes on the more sure of the fact that it is I become, then my death protecting Eren is inevitable and what I’m fighting now is nothing but a losing battle with fate. A losing battle which, for all I know, I’ve fought against myself thousands of times before._

                Ankh raised his head suddenly and growled, awoken by a sound from outside which Levi’s own ears were not keen enough to register. The raven stiffened and turned abruptly on his heel to face the door, poised for combat all without knowing what to expect when a knock-hesitant-came on the door to announce the presence of another, the identity of whom he already felt he knew, Levi relaxed.

                “Come in.”

                The door opened, allowing Eren to step inside.

                _I thought it was him._ The brunet observed him silently for a few moments but didn’t speak. His green eyes taking in his shadow-cut form against the lunar glow coming in from outside. “Just got out of the throne room? That’s rather late.”

                “I didn’t.”

                Ok then. “Did you try to sleep?”

                “I did.”

                “But you couldn’t?” Eren nodded. _Well, we’re in the same boat in that regard._ He thought. “Why not?”

                Eren shrugged. “No real particular reason, really. You?”

                “Mulling over the Metaphysical.” The word ‘Metaphysical’ clearly didn’t register on the young Pharaoh’s vocabulary but he nodded along anyway. “I’m trying to grapple and come to terms with what has happened to land me here. And with the fact that I’m starting to feel as if I’ve been through all of this before.”

                Ankh had jumped off the bed and was now running happily about Eren’s ankles.

                “With the climate, I’m surprised to see that you sleep in your clothes.”

                “I don’t. Clearly you don’t either.” His gaze changed somewhat and Levi felt his skin heat up beneath a blush, suddenly very aware of his state of complete undress. “But I figured that you wouldn’t appreciate it if I showed up naked at your door.”

                “No. I don’t think I would have.”

                “Were you planning on sleeping tonight?”

                “Yeah, I was. But my body doesn’t seem like it wants to cooperate.”

                “Do you mind if I stay up with you?” Eren revealed what he’d been holding in his hands; a small clay pot of oil. “I’ll make it worth the trouble.”

                Levi sighed, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. Eren waited patiently for his answer, watching the raven return to the bed and sit down all while ignoring the still circling pup. “If you’re going to stick around you may as well move out of the doorway.”

                Eren crossed to the bed and, after casting a questioning glance at Levi, sat down on the edge of it. Ankh happily hopped up and curled up at the front of the bed. Levi eyed the little pot of oil with an err of suspicion as Eren poured a small amount of it out into his hand, beginning to warm it between his palms.

                “Give me your foot, please.”

                For a moment Levi didn’t move, and then slowly he slid his legs out from underneath the linen sheets. Without another word Eren picked up his left foot and gently dug his fingers into the arch. Levi hissed and jerked slightly in surprise, relaxing quickly as the brunet skillfully released the tension from the muscle and sinew deep within his foot.

                “I’ve noticed that you tend to be rather stiff.” He spoke softly, head bowed forwards and eyes fixated on his task as he worked. Long fingers pressing gently into the malleable flesh. “Constantly being so tense can’t possibly be good for your health.”

                He paused to pour more oil out of the clay pot and rewarmed it before picking up his other foot and subjecting it to the same treatment.

                “I think that you may need to put your own advice to use; you stress too much.”

                Eren’s hands left his feet and traveled up to his calves. Squeezing and working careful pressure into the hidden bundles of nerves and releasing the built up tension held within. Rather than continue passed his knees Eren sat back.

                “Could you turn over onto your front and lay on your stomach, please?”

                Reluctantly breaking his gaze from Eren’s figure the raven did as he was told, stretching out on his front. The brunet straddled his back with delicate care not to put too much weight on his hips and dug the heels of his hands into his lower back. Pressing into the large muscles on either side of his spine. Moving swiftly up to his upper back and then out across his shoulders and neck. Gently pushing him further into the mattress. His body going comfortably limp as the tension which had built up over the years was chased from his being.

 _Yes, I’ve been here before and I can assume that I’ll wind up here again in the future. Fighting what’s going to happen is fighting with fate, and that is a battle that I can never hope to win._ Eren pulled back in surprise when Levi sat up without warning and turned the face him. _I already know how this is going to end. That, regardless of what I do or how I try to run from it, at the end of this road I’m going to die for him. So I suppose that if I can’t change the destination I may as well do what I can do enjoy the ride._

                “Levi-?”

                “As thoughtful and relaxing as your massage is, Eren, I can think of a much better use for that oil.”

                The brunet looked at him in obvious confusion. “What do you mean?”

                The raven sighed. “Shut up and kiss me!”

                It took a moment for his request to register but when it did Eren’s response was instant and aggressive. His hands sliding through the bristles of his undercut and tangling in the longer black hair above it, yanking him forwards. Levi crashed into the other’s chest, his yelp of surprise swallowed by the brunet’s mouth as it came down hungrily on his with all the force and fervor that the youth could muster.

                The raven caught a firm hold on the brunet’s broad shoulders to prevent himself from being knocked over. Eren nipped at the side of his mouth, one of his canines catching on the smaller man’s lip and drawing blood. Taking advantage of the small gasp of pain he made to slip his tongue into his mouth. Hands traveling from the black hair to caress his jawline, guiding his head into a better position to explore by his newly conquered territory.

                “Tastes good.”

Eren trailed his tongue along the curve of his jaw and down the column of his throat. Pressing into his flesh with his teeth until a mark was left behind. Levi moaned and tilted his head back to give the brunet better access. Gripping his shoulders tighter. Pulling him closer as he left more bruises spattered across his throat.

                “I love how easy it is to mark your skin.”

                His attentions moved to his clavicle. Scrapping his teeth gently over the pale flesh. Licking away the scarlet pearls of blood which formed, drawing out another moan.

                “I’m going to mark every inch of you and make it absolutely clear beyond all questioning that you’re mine.” Eren yanked his hands from his shoulders, forcing Levi onto his back and pinning them above his head. He lowered himself over him, their chests pressing together as they breathed, and brought his face down to the other’s ear. “I’m going to have fun tormenting you. I’m going to make you squirm and beg. And then, when I myself can’t take it anymore, I’m going to fuck you so hard that you won’t be able to differentiate between up and down anymore.”

                “F-Fuck, brat. If you keep talking like that I’m going to cum before you even get the chance!”

                “Oh no you’re not.” Eren fumbled at his waist for a moment before managing to yank the belt free.  “I’m not going to let you.” With a few swift movements he tied the raven to the stone-head of the bed. “So beautiful, lying there flushed and sweaty and all marked up the way you are.” He purred, resting his hands against his chiseled midriff and running them up over his chest. “But I think you need more of them. _A lot_ more of them.”

                He pressed open mouthed kisses to his chest. Sucking and biting until blue-black crescents were left in his wake. Swirling his tongue around each of his flushed buds in turn, briefly taking each into his mouth before moving onwards. Relishing the shudders of the taught flesh of his stomach as his tongue chased the trickles of sweat which had gathered in the indents between his abdominal muscles.

                The raven’s back arched off of the mattress; Eren wound one of his arms around the small of his back, holding him in that elevated position and going on the attack. Licking and sucking and biting. Laving at the sensitive flesh. Tasting his skin. Levi whimpered as Eren released him again, letting his hips drop back onto the bed.

                The moonlight lit his eyes with a feral glow as he stared down hungrily at his erect length, neatly nestled amidst curling dark hairs, swollen and flushed with blood pre-cum beading at its mushroom head. He kept eye contact with the raven as he leaned forwards, hot breath fanning over the twitching length before his lips pulled upwards into a smirk.

                A careful hold constricted around his base, forcing him to emit a furious hiss.

                “Damn it, brat!” He yowled, fighting against his restraints in an effort to sit up. Eren chuckled, watching him struggle with an amused glee that bored closely on sadistic.

                “I already told you, Levi, that I would be delivering a little bit of torture.” He purred. “Don’t be too frustrated. Because doing this will make it all the more enjoyable for you when I finally do let you cum.”

                Keeping his hand firmly in place Eren leaned in and traced the dominant vein along the underside of his length with his tongue. Dragging the fleshy muscle up and down the soft sensitive skin. Coiling it around the almost scarlet head. Humming at the taste that met him before taking him into his mouth. Levi’s hips jerked forwards, pricking the brunet’s eyes with tears. Eren’s protest sent vibrations rocketing up his length and left the raven reeling as he pinned his hips down with his free hand.

                “A-Ah!” Flames were blazing deep within his gut, devouring him from the inside out. The fact that he was drooling barely registered. “Eren, p-please!” He tugged against his restraints and struggled to buck his hips to no avail, speaking in little more than a breathy whimper. “It hurts!”

                Eren seemed to take mercy on him then, releasing his hold on his base and taking his length as deep into his throat as he could manage. Working the muscles in his neck and hollowing his cheeks, swallowing everything he could of the raven’s explosive release before licking the remainder of the milky substance clean.

                “Oh, yes,” the Pharaoh trilled, taking in the sight of him lying limp and dazed with his hair tousled legs spread and a thin trail of drool dripping down his chin. “This is a very good look for you. So beautifully perfectly lewd and unraveled. I’ll definitely have to commit this sight to memory, Levi.”

                “That,” he gasped breathlessly as Eren’s skillful fingers traced the sensitive flesh of his inner thighs, slowly stirring him back to life, “was really fucking good.”

                “I have a bit of experience. None with men, but enough to know the basics.” He replied smugly. “Though I hope you’re not spent quite yet; I promised to fuck your brains out and we aren’t done.” Still bonelessly drowning in the afterglow Levi made no effort to resist as Eren pulled his knees up onto his shoulders, spreading his pale cheeks to reveal his twitching entrance. “And please, stop trying to bite down on the noises you make. I want to hear you moaning like a whore.”

                He pressed the moist flat of his tongue to the sensitive twitching flesh. Verging teasingly on delving in only to pass over and back again. With each pass he increased the pressure until the tip of his tongue slipped just within the entrance. Swirling languorously around the rim, holding him in place as he squirmed and whimpered, before finally pushing fully inside. Deep. Then deeper. Curling the tip against the hyper sensitive flesh, teasing the outermost edge of his sweet spot and driving him to the verge of madness. Making him squirm and writhe. Whimpering and moaning. Shuddering as Eren intensified his administrations, erection now fully revived and bouncing against his stomach.

                He pulled away without warning, making the raven whine in protest at the loss of contact, and leaned down to retrieve the pot of oil. Pouring more of it out into his hand and pushing one finger into his gasping hole. Twisting and curling before wriggling in a second and then a third. Scissoring and stretching until he was satisfied that enough preparation had been made.

                Eren poured more oil out onto his hand, quickly coating his erection as he reached to undo Levi’s restraints with the other. The raven instantly latched onto him and Eren chuckled, aligning himself and then pushing forwards into the yielding heat. The raven threw his head back and groaned, wrapping his legs around the brunet’s waist to push him in deeper when he didn’t make an immediate effort to move. Nails cutting into the skin of his back and drawing blood.

                “So tight.” Eren moaned into his neck, tone husky and broken. “You feel so fucking good, Levi.”

                “Move, brat! I can’t- _Ahh!”_

                A swift thrust of his hips sent the other’s voice rocketing upwards a handful of octaves. The younger man’s length shifted deep inside him. Grinding against his prostate time and again and making him see stars. The bed creaking and groaning in a protest which both men ignored.

                “Deeper! Faster! Oh, Eren, yes! There!”

                His pace sped, pile driving into him with an almost punishing force. Heat spreading across his skin. White hot conflagration consuming every fiber of his being. His vision whiting out and all of the air leaving his lungs in a wordless howl as the other filled him with his seed.

                Eren pulled out of him and rolled down onto the bed beside him. Lathered in sweat and chest heaving, his stomach-like Levi’s-spattered with the raven’s release.

                “H-Holy shit.”

                “Holy shit.” Eren agreed, pulling him close and holding him in his arms. “I love you, Levi.”

                “Love you, brat.” Levi’s reply was slurred, the raven clearly more than half asleep. He mumbled something else which was completely incoherent as Eren kissed his brow and pulled the sheets over their bodies. “Good night, love.”

                He drifted off beside him as the sun began rising in the sky.

 


	13. Storm

Levi’s eyes slid slowly open, nestled comfortably in the warmth of Eren’s strong arms. Head resting on the young Pharaoh’s chest and the sound of his steady heartbeat strong in his ears. Mind still fuzzy and body deliciously sore from their activities the night before.

                “Mmh.” He turned to nestle closer to the other’s warm body only to have something small and fuzzy impede him from doing so. Reluctantly, Levi raised his head to investigate the source. Ankh blinked at him and wagged his little tail from his position wedged firmly between their tangled bodies. Even annoyed as he was Levi couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

                Eren raised his head at the sound and looked around, turquois eyes blinking blearily at him. “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

                “Nothing, brat. Someone was just feeling a little bit left out is all.”

                Ankh whined and pushed himself up onto his feet, his little paws darting up their legs. Begging for attention. Levi relented with a sigh and scratched behind his ears. Eren chuckled and reached out as well, smiling as the puppy licked his fingers.

                “Did you sleep well?” he asked quietly.

                Levi nodded, leaning against the other’s shoulder. “Yes, I slept marvelously well. What about you?”

                “Like a baby. How are you feeling? I know that I might have been a little bit rough with you…”

                The raven silenced him with a brief kiss. “I’m not made out of glass, Eren. I can handle a little bit of rough play.” He said, setting his head back on his shoulder. “I feel good. Really good. But I also feel like I need to take a bath. _Now.”_

                “Yeah,” Eren looked down at himself and then at Levi and smirked, “we are covered in the…evidence of last night’s fun.”

                “Don’t remind me,” Levi said with a shudder. “Make me feel even more disgusting. And the sheets!”

                “I’ll have the servants replace them.” The brunet promised, amused by the sight of the raven leaping up off of the bed with an expression of mild horror. “As for the two of us…shall we head down to the bath house, love?”

                “Yes, we shall. Immediately!” Hastily re-securing the same shendyt from the night before around his waist he scrambled out of the room. Shaking his head as he redonned his own clothing, Eren selected a rich wine toned linen from the trunk and following him out.

                “You forgot a change of clothes, so I grabbed one for you.” He said, setting the folded cloth down and watching Levi rip his clothing off as quickly as he could manage.

                “Thanks.” The word was nearly drowned out by the splash he made when he leapt into the massive bath. His head went under briefly and when he got to his feet, the water level dropping down to his waist, his raven hair was plastered to his forehead. He shook some of the droplets free and swept a hand across his eyes.

                Eren slipped into the water as well, much more calmly than his companion had, and drew towards him. Pulling the smaller man closer by the hips and kissing him. Pushing him back against the stone wall of the bath. Running the tip of his tongue along his lower lip in a request for entry which the raven denied.

                Levi pried him off and gently pushed him away. “We’re in here to clean off, brat. Not get more dirty.”

                “I know, I know.” He grumbled, reaching up to retrieve the clay pot of soap. “I just wanted to see how far you’d let me go before you put your foot down. And regardless of when and if you did so, I had always intended to help you clean off.”

                “I don’t need you to bathe me.” Levi’s statement was followed up by a sharp hiss of surprise, body shuddering as the brunet gently pressed a combination of cold soap and frigid water to the sensitive skin of his stomach.

                “I know that you don’t need me to, but I want to. Think of it as something nice which couples do for each other.” He said, gently clearing the lathered suds from the bruised skin. “Besides, it is my fault you wound up so dirty in the first place.”

                The way that he said ‘dirty’ made the smaller male shiver.

                “This is you trying to make it up to me, is it?”

                You could say that, yes. And I suppose that it wouldn’t be wrong to see it that way.”

                Levi smiled, ducked beneath Eren’s arm and stepped out of reach. When the young Pharaoh looked at him in confusion he motioned with one hand for him to turn around.

                “Put your hands against the wall and brace, brat.”

                The brunet’s eyebrows shot up and he grinned, slowly turning to do as he’d been told. “Forward of you, love.” He purred, bracing his hands against the stone wall as he’d been directed. “I thought that you just told me the bath was a place for getting clean, not for getting…frisky.”

                “You’ve misunderstood my intentions.” Eren yelped in shock with the cold soap was poured onto him without warning. “I’m going to return your favor by washing your back for you, because God knows you certainly can’t reach all of it on your own.”

                Eren’s shoulders slouched slightly when he realized Levi really had no intention of initiating anything more than a bath with him.

                “Oh, don’t pout you little shit! If you’re good about it maybe you and I can get up to some more fickle frackle later on.” The brunet perked up immediately at that, making Levi snort in amusement. “Sit.”

                The young Pharaoh did as he was bid and sat down in the water, allowing Levi to wash the soap from his skin.

                “There.”

                “The bath is over already?”

                “Did you _want_ to spend all day in here?”

                Eren shrugged, pushing his damp bangs back out of his face with one hand. “I don’t care where I spend all day as long as it’s with you.”

                Levi rolled his silver eyes and gave Eren a playful push. “If you’re finished delivering your tacky lines you and I should get out of the water before we turn into prunes.”

                “What’s a prune?”

                “Not important.” The raven pulled himself out of the cool water with a single fluid motion of his pale arms. Eren sighed but followed close behind.

                The pair dried themselves off with towels and redressed, Levi securing the wine colored shendyt around his waist and carefully latching the heavy silver collar around his neck. He could feel the brunet’s eyes resting heavily on him, proudly examining the dark violet markings splattered across his white skin.

                “See something you like, Son of Ra?”

                Those warm arms burned like fire against his cooled skin as they wound around his waist, pulling him in close again. The raven rested his head against the brunet’s chest with a contented sigh.

                “You’re beautiful, Levi. So, so beautiful.”

                “You’ve said all of that before, brat.” And he was sure that Eren would say it again.

                “Does it matter? It’s the truth.” His calloused fingertips delicately traced the outlines of a few of the tender bruises, resting his face in the shorter man’s black hair. “You’re the most beautiful creature that I have ever seen. The most beautiful creature in all of Egypt. And I feel so honored that you’ve chosen to accept my advances.”

                “You’re not too bad yourself,” Eren easily held him upright as he leaned all of his weight against him. “But, nice as this is, I don’t think the bathhouse is the best place for canoodling. No matter how innocent.”

                “I suppose you’re right.” Eren released him reluctantly and stepped back. “What would you like to do today? It’s a simple task to inform my Advisor that the Kingdom’s problems and needs are at his discretion for the day; I think it’s best that you and I spent a quiet day together in the wake of last nights…activities.”

                That sounded good to him. “How about we go out to the gardens?” he asked after a moment’s consideration. “I don’t think it’s wise for us to leave the Palace in case there is something that comes up which requires your explicit attention, but we can find the necessary privacy there.”

                Eren nodded, took his hand, and the two exited the bathhouse together Ankh was waiting patiently for them outside of the door and bounded after the pair as they made their way out into the gardens.

                “What should we do, love?” he asked him quietly. “Find a shaded glen hidden away from prying eyes?”

                “Eventually, but not quite yet. Let’s take a walk first.” Levi lead Eren towards the nearest trailhead.

                “Whatever you wish, Levi.”

                A soft wind blew through the many colorful flowers which surrounded them of all sides. The hard packed dirt of the path under their bare feet was damp and cool with morning dew. Ankh alternated between weaving in and out between their legs and chasing the Palace cats through the dark green undergrowth.

                “You’ll stay with me, won’t you?”

                Eren was looking at him now as if his entire being hung upon the answer which Levi chose to give to that one question. Levi felt his heart constrict and struggled to keep his expression neutral.

                “For as long as my heart keeps beating.”

                The brunet’s eyebrows knitted together. “That’s a rather odd way to answer that question, don’t you think?”

                “Not at all.” He replied, watching the pup rocket off into the undergrowth in a blur of black fur. “I’m not going to tell you that I’m going to stay with you forever, because that would be a lie. I don’t want to lie to you. I will die eventually, there’s no getting around it, so staying with you forever is impossible. But you have my word that I will stay by your side for as long as I live.”

                “A relief to hear,” Eren said, slowing his pace to a stop. “And a privilege that I will treasure every moment of.”

                The time Levi was happy to accept the kiss which the Pharaoh imparted on him. Reaching up to pull the brunet closer with one hand on the back of his neck and the other knotted in his hair. Unlike the two other times Eren had kissed him, all coiling tongues and clicking teeth, this one was soft and gentle. Sensual. Loving.

                Levi’s loudly growling stomach interrupted the tender moment before things could progress any further. Eren broke off with a smirk as the raven blushed bright red, chuckling and taking him by the wrist.

                “Come on, there are some interesting grapes growing just up ahead which should do nicely to pacify your hunger.”

                Rounding a bend and pushing their way through a particularly large bush, the pair came out into a hidden clearing with a grassy floor and a ceiling of thickly woven woody vines. Hanging over head from many of these vines were heavy bushels of near completely round grapes. Levi stared up at the fruit in total shock.

                “They’re _pink_!?” he demanded. “What the hell?”

                “They’re pink.” Eren confirmed, pulling down a large bushel and holding them up for him to see. “Supposedly a very sweet variety of grape favored by the children of its native country. I’ve never tried them for myself, so today shall be a first for both of us.”

                The young Pharaoh sat down on the plush green grass and folded his legs beneath him, holding the bushel with one hand and patting his lap with the other.

                “Eren, I think that that’s going a little bit far.”

His stomach vehemently disagreed. Eren’s already present smirk stretched wider. Levi huffed in annoyance but did as the brunet had silently requested, seating himself in the grass as well and reclining back so that his head was resting in his lap. The smirk transformed into a smile and he ran his fingers through his short-cut hair for a moment before plucking one of the grapes from the bushel and offering it to him. Levi opened his mouth and allowed the Pharaoh to slip the berry into his mouth. The firm skin popped beneath his teeth, an almost candied sweetness exploding across his tongue.

Eren appeared equally surprised by the flavor when he tried one for himself.

Two bushels of the fruit later both were contentedly full and Eren’s innocently feeding him had spiraled downwards into another ferocious make out session. The Pharaoh had to all but fold himself in half to kiss the raven still lying across his lap who maintained a strong grip in his wild hair. He could taste him thick on his tongue, salty and heady and still with the sweet shadow of the grapes which they had feasted on. Levi pulled his partner closer. Eren gently bit down on his lip, verging dangerously on drawing blood. Both of their eyes hooded and glazed with lust. Fully prepared to engage in another round of the same activities of the night prior when, much to their shocked displeasure, a tall blonde figure came crashing through the green wall.

“Lord Eren! The Vizier…a messenger…the military is…your presence is required immediately to the North!” He spluttered, breathless and quite obviously horrified. “Qau has fallen! We’re at war with Lower Egypt!”

“What?” Eren demanded, leaping to his feet with his green eyes sparking.

“I don’t know the full story, Lord Son of Ra! I’m only a servant; I was tasked with retrieving you.”

                “Well, tell me what you _do_ know Thomas!” He bellowed as Levi straightened up from where the brunet had dumped him into the grass listening intently.

                “An organized force of soldiers from Lower Egypt attacked the city of Qau without warning. The city was undefended, as you know, because there was no reason to keep as guard posted, as you know, and it fell within only a handful of hours. We only just received word of it; sightings of Lower Egypt’s Pharaoh have been had, and where soldiers have already been sent your presence is best had on the front as well.”

                “I understand. Tell Armin that a boat is to be prepared immediately.”

                “Of course, Sire.” The blonde servant rushed off as quickly as he had come.

                “Look after the Palace for me, Levi. I should return within the month; I’m going to war.”

                “No, you’re not. _We_ are!”

                “Levi-.”

                “ _I can fight, Eren! With any weapon that you give me, I can fight! And I will fight!”_ The raven bellowed at him, taking the raven by complete surprise. “The is not negotiable; get me light armor, a Khopesh and a bow-I can shoot.”

                “Really-.”

                “We’re partners, brat. There’s not a snowflake’s fucking chance in hell I’m about to let you take on a rival kingdom alone.”

                The brunet sighed but relented with a surprising speed, likely having realized that fighting with him was only wasting time. “Alright, I’ll take you to the barracks to get the weapons and armor but we need to hurry. We have a boat to catch.”


	14. Beseiged

As he sat beside Eren Levi found himself struggling to keep still in the river boat as it glided up the Nile. Feeling the sun beat down on his exposed shoulders and chest, the stiffened leather bands pressing tight against his skin. The scaled armor of the brunet gleamed brightly under the blinding radiance and the raven felt sure that it was visible for miles. If anything, the thought that their opponent might already be able to see them made him even more nervous.

                His grip tightened around the hilt of the Khopesh in his hands. He squirmed in his seat. The movement caught Eren’s eye and he looked over.

                “What’s wrong?” he asked, obviously concerned.

                “What’s wrong, Eren, is that the armor you’re wearing is lightening up like the fucking sun!” He told him starkly, grey eyes darting around at the surrounding banks. “We can’t be more than forty five minutes outside of Qau; though we’ve sent soldiers ahead of us we’ve no way of knowing if they’ve managed to neutralize even a small fraction of the forces of Lower Egypt or if they’ve been wiped out themselves. They could be lying in wait to ambush us and, if they see us before we see them, we’re screwed!”

                “Well, what should I do? Take it off?”

                “No! Not only will that not make it less shinny it’ll leave you vulnerable!”

                “Then what?”

                “Give me a moment to think,” he said, examining their surroundings for anything he could use to solve their problem. Dark blue water. Far too deep to reach the bottom of by simply reaching down or even using his weapon as an extra arm. Steep muddy banks. “Mud.”

                “What?”

                “Oi! Pull over to that bank! We need to cover up his armor before we get any closer!”

                His bellowed command was heeded without question. The Nile Boat turned broadside into the current. The oars pushing it up onto the indicated bank. Levi leapt off of the boat and sank down up to his ankles.

                _Disgusting._ He turned his head to glare at Eren who was still sitting in the boat. “Come on, brat! We don’t have all fucking day!”

                The Pharaoh sighed and, with a look of disgust, stepped out into the deep viscous mud. Levi grabbed him by the arm, bent at the waist and scooper up a handful of dark mud.

                “W-What are you doing?” he yelped.

                “Covering up your bright ass armor.” The handful of mud made contact with a sickening squelch. “Don’t make that face, its mud not fucking poison!”

                “It’s _gross_!” He whined.

                “It’s better than getting _shot_ isn’t it?” The raven snapped back. “We don’t have time for this shit. Lie down and roll around.”

                “ _What?”_

_“You heard me!”_

                Eren huffed out a sigh before reluctantly lying down. His knees and hands sinking into the mud as he lowered himself onto his front. The raven took mercy on him and helped to hold his head out of the mud as he rolled around, thoroughly coating himself in the brown ooze.

                “Alright, you’re good. Come on.” Levi pulled him back up and the pair washed their feet and hands before clambering back into the boat.

                “Are you sure that this is even going to do anything to prevent the armor from gleaming?” Eren asked, raising one hand to fiddle with the thick coating of mud.

                Levi grabbed his hand before he could. “Yes, it’s dampened the reflection severely. And it will continue to do so if you don’t mess with it!”

                The brunet whined.

                “It’s mud. You’ll live! As a matter of fact it may make it so that you live longer.” The river boat rocked beneath them as it slid back into the water. “Keep your head down and your eyes open. The closer that we get to Qau the more pressing the danger becomes.”

                Eren nodded and sank down further in his seat. Peeking nervously over the side of the boat.

                “You’ve never been to war?” the brunet looked over at him and nodded again. “Alright. Just make sure not to go stumbling blindly into anything and don’t go out of your way to make a target of yourself.”

                “You sound like you’re speaking from experience, Levi. Have you ever been to war?”

                “I was overseas in a country which you would know by the name Persia for a few years before I went to college. Mind you that war then and war now are two completely different equally deadly animals.” He told him. “Just keep your head screwed on straight and stay close and we’ll both be fine; if you get separated find shelter and put your back to a wall so that assailants aren’t able to get behind you.”

                “Right. I’ll keep your advice in mind.” He promised. “And I’ll do my best not to allow the enemy to catch me alone.”

                “Good. That’s the best that we can hope for.” Levi glanced down to take stock of his weapon again before returning his gaze to the horizon. The distance-hazed outline of the buildings making up the embattled city of Qau were now just becoming visible. “On your guard, we’re almost there.”

                No more than a handful of minutes after he’d spoken the gentle lapping of the Nile against the hull of the river boat was replaced by the harsh pinging splash of arrows bouncing off of its sides and landing in the water all around them.

                “ _Fuck!”_

Levi bellowed, grabbing a nearby shield and hastily yanking it over their heads to shield them from the projectiles. Feeling them rebound from the hardened hide and wood, one breaking against the floor of the boat, ricocheting upwards and hitting him in the calf. Drawing blood. He hissed, coiling down further. Hearing yelling grow louder, now accompanied by the clatter and clang of metal.

                “Listen to me, Eren!” The green eyes switched onto him immediately, wide with unmistakable fright. “The minute that this boat gets to shore we’re going to jump out and find a way up onto the tops of the buildings to take out some of those archers! Once we’ve done that we’re going to pull back what soldiers we can find to just outside of the city, regroup and move in together. We do it right, and we should be able to take back the city by night fall.”

                He nodded. “Alright, lead the way Levi.”

                Moments later the boat bumped against the dock.

                “ _Go!”_

                They leapt out of the boat together and onto the floating dock, the wood clanking loudly as they landed. The structure rocking violently beneath the feet of fighting soldiers. More arrows rained down on them, most rebounding off the shield but a few clattering against Eren’s armor, the tip of one sticking harmlessly in a small chink near his shoulder; he pulled it out and tossed it aside. Another wave of advancing Lower Egyptian soldiers was flooding towards the far end of the dock, blocking their advance onto land.

                “ _Water!”_

                Levi grabbed Eren by the wrist and leapt off the dock into the Nile. The cold water immediately swallowed both of them up, the surface falling rapidly away in a cloud of small white bubbles. The sounds of battle dampened by the water. The raven kicked out, the brunet beside him following suit, and soon enough both broke the surface again.

                Water immediately cascaded down into his eyes. Blinding him. Levi blinked furiously and shook his head in a violet effort to fling his black bangs out of his eyes, spitting out a mouthful of water. Another volley of arrows fell around them, quite a few coming dangerously close to where they both treaded water.

                “Eren!”

                “Y-Yeah?” the young Pharaoh coughed on another mouthful of water which he’d accidentally inhaled while trying to speak, struggling to tread water while being weighed down by his mud-streaked armor.

                “We’re going to have to swim for it, and quickly! We’re sitting ducks out here!”

                He nodded. The two turned to shore and started swimming madly towards land. Eren flailed artlessly in a poor imitation of a doggy paddle. Levi’s breast-stroke was oddly stilted by the weapon he still clutched in one hand. When they finally did make it to shore the river mud sucked greedily at their limbs. Slowing their progress and dragging them down. Arrows hissed passed, the iron head of one impaling itself in Levi’s right shoulder. He grunted in pain, hot blood trickling down his back, and sped his pace. Floundering through the last few yards of mud and up onto solid ground with Eren just behind.

                “Going somewhere?”

                A positively massive man materialized out of nowhere just a few paces to their left, gigantic axe clutched in one meaty fist. Despite his wound Levi sprang into action, meeting the other’s weapon with his own swing. Sparks flew in a cascade of orange. White hot pain seared through his injured shoulder. Tears pricked in his eyes but he held fast, the brute losing his balance in the slick mud and falling to the ground.

                He took his chance and finished his opponent off before he could rise.

                “Levi-!”

                “No time! Come on!”

                They scaled the remainder of the bank and run up onto the crest of the Nile. Finally catching their first good glimpse of the embattled city of Qau. Soldiers and assailants struggled for control of the city, outnumbered almost 20 to 1. The number falling fast.

                They reached a building. Levi kicked down the door and dragged Eren inside.

                “Levi-!”

                “You need to pull it out, Eren!”

                The brunet’s eyes widened. “What?”

                “The arrow. Pull it out!” He repeated harshly, gritting his teeth. “It’s lodged in my shoulder blade; there’s nothing there but skin and bone so it can’t have done much damage but my main concern is that it’s poisoned.”

                “But…won’t that hurt?”

                “It’ll hurt either way: just do it!”

                Eren sighed, stepped forwards and, after bracing one hand on Levi’s other shoulder, ripped the arrow out of his back.

                “ ** _Fuck!”_**

                “Sorry!”

                The raven took a moment to catch his breath before turning back to him. “It’s alright; it’s not as if you’re the one who shot me brat.” Levi held out his hand. “Give me the arrow.”

                Eren did as he was instructed; the raven carefully brought the metal tip under his nose and his expression transformed into one of relief.

                “No poison, thank God.” The wooden shaft bounced off the floor with a harsh clicking sound when Levi tossed it away. “Good to know that if we do get hit we don’t need to worry about subversive death from an otherwise trivial wound.”

                Eren nodded but didn’t speak.

                “That doesn’t change any of the facets of our plan, however. If we’re going to stand any chance at taking back this city we’re going to have to get rid of those archers!”

                “What are we going to do?”

                “You’re going to use your bow to cover me while I go up there and get rid of them. Shoot some down yourself while you’re at it.” He said. “After that we’ll enact the rest of the plan I detailed to you earlier. You do remember it?”

                He nodded.

                “Good. You can shoot, can’t you?”

                Eren rolled his eyes, pulling the bow down from his back. “Geeze, Levi. I may have never been to war but I have been hunting before; I’m not completely useless.”

                “I never suggested-.”

                “Look, it’s fine. I know it’s only because you’re nervous that you’re quipping at me but you really don’t need to be. We’re going to be fine.”

                Levi tried not to focus on the feeling of the bloody drying on his back. “Ready, brat?”

                “Ready when you are.”

                “Let’s go.”

                They left the building quickly, not wasting a moment in bolting across the open ground towards a ramp formed by a collapsed wall. Eren shot down a few of the archers who rose from their nests to take aim with surprising accuracy while Levi closed the last few feet towards the lamp. Barely taking a moment to test its strength before beginning to scramble up it. An arrow barely missed his right foot, the archer responsible almost instantly falling to one of Eren’s own, but it was enough to make him accelerate his pace even further.

                The top of the ramp failed the quite reach the top of the building, forcing Levi to jump upwards and haul himself over the edge of the roof, falling onto his uninjured shoulder and rolling up onto all fours.

                “Shit!”

                “Shoot him!”

                The nearest archer didn’t get the chance; the blade of his weapon destroyed the wooden bow in a single pass before cutting into the flesh of the man behind it, nearly hewing his arm off.

                He fell.

                Levi left him where he’d fallen and turned his attention to the second man; in his haste to flee he fell from the roof onto the streets below.

                Another arrow caught the sunlight through the corner of one eye and he managed to raise his blade in his hands at just the last moment, sending it ricocheting off in another direction. The archer responsible fell soon after. Those few who remained standing were quick to retreat.

                Shouting from the streets below off the far side of the roof atop which he stood  drew Levi’s attention away from Eren who had now begun to clamber up the same improvised ramp which he had taken up the side of the roof. A trio of beleaguered soldiers, exhausted and wounded, had been backed into a dead end by a group of ten attackers lead by an armored man on horseback. He glanced back at the Pharaoh, who was now almost on the roof, and then back at the all but helpless men.

                _They’re going to die if something isn’t done._ He realized, hastily beginning to search their surroundings for anything of use. _But there’s no way that either of us will be able to get down there quickly enough to help them._

                Not through conventional means at least.

                A clothes line hung with linens spanned between the building atop which he stood and the one exactly opposite of it.

                _No helping it._

                Levi took a running leap and flung himself into the gap between the buildings like a diver would off a board into a pool. Catching hold of the line and pulling it free of its moorings. Plummeting until it pulled taught to arrest his fall, flinging him forwards and toppling the blonde from his horse with a shout of alarm.

                “Levi!” Eren’s cry of shock was drowned out by the force of his body hitting the hard packed dirt.

                “What the hell?” he heard someone demand as he pushed himself back up onto all fours, readjusted his grip of his weapon and coiled down in preparation to pounce. “What the shitting hell was that?”

                He could see through the rapidly settling dust that the massive blonde-a general of some sort-had hauled himself back onto his feet.

                “I don’t know.” He grunted, beady eyes narrowed as he squinted into the diminishing cloud. “Keep your guard up.”

                They’d have considerable trouble doing so if Eren had any say in matters. The young Pharaoh popped up from where he’d ducked beneath the edge of the roof above and sent a volley of arrows pelting down upon their heads. When the soldiers turned on instinct to block the arrows with their shields Levi seized his chance.

                The Khopesh bit deep into the back of the nearest man who collapsed with a cry of pain and alarm. Hot blood flecked his chest and face as he pivoted below the strike of the next nearest before dropping them as well. With the help of Eren’s continuous fire, the general was soon the only one left standing. By that point the Pharaoh’s quiver had emptied and he was forced to cease his pining fire. Levi paused for a brief moment in order to determine how best to dismantle the scaled armor of the man in front of him only to hesitate further in the face of the other’s obvious terror at the sight of his blood soaked state.

                _It would seem that even on the field of battle my reputation precedes me. Even this idiot thinks I’m a God._ Levi felt his lips curl upwards into a brutal sneer. “This land is not yours; how dare you try to take it! If you think that my diminutive nephew Horus can protect you you’re very wrong!” He took a threatening step forwards, causing the much large man to flinch. “Go back to your ‘Pharaoh’ and tell him this: if he does not retreat from this place immediately both he and his forces will be swallowed by the desert sands before you make it back to Lower Egypt!”

                “I-I will!” Despite looking like he dearly wanted to bolt, the man’s body didn’t seem capable of moving from its fear-frozen state.

                “Then **_go_**!”

                He fled with his tail between his legs, Levi watching him go with vindictive amusement as Eren finished clambering the rest of the way down from the roof.

                “Is that how you won wars in modern times?” he sounded somewhat breathless.

                “No, in modern war there is a great deal more shooting and explosions.” He grunted, making a futile effort to wipe the blood from his face with his equally bloody hand. “Come on, brat. They’re likely to withdraw from the city in response to my threat but I doubt that they’ll fall back far; we need to gather what’s left of our forces and secure the area while we have the chance.”

                Eren readjusted the bow and now empty quiver which hung from his back before nodding. “There’s a large and still mostly standing building in the middle of the town. We’ll set up base camp there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Armor – Due to the climate very little armor was ever worn in Africa. Many foot soldiers and charioteers preferred to simply wear broad leather bands across their chests and, in some cases, holding a shield. Pharaohs and other high ranked soldiers, as well as Gods in some depictions, would wear scaled armor inset with precious stones which were usually much harder than the metal arrow heads were made from.


End file.
